Salt water VS. Tap water?

Question

Sea water is saltier than tap water. Explain why drinking large amounts of seawater would be dangerous to humans

Answer 1

Salt water draws water out of the tissues because it has more salt than body fluids and tissues. This actually dehydrates a person rather than helping them. I understand a person can drink small amounts of salt water safely. As was shown recently, drinking large amounts of fresh water can also kill, in this case by diluting the blood, drawing salt, inducing cardiac arrest.

Answer 2

What happens if you drink seawater? Bill Bryson puts it vividly:

Take a lot of salt into your body and your metabolism very quickly goes into crisis. From every cell, water molecules rush off like so many voluntary firemen to try to dilute and carry off the sudden intake of salt. This leaves the cells dangerously short of the water they need to carry out their normal functions. They become, in a word, dehydrated. In extreme situations, dehydration will lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and brain damage. Meanwhile, the overworked blood cells carry the salt to the kidneys, which eventually become overwhelmed and shut down. Without functioning kidneys you die. That is why we don't drink seawater.
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Answer 3

When a high concentration of salts are consumed, you body tries to dilute all the salt by taking water from your cells. This leaving you dehydrated.

Answer 4

salt water in large amounts can be dangerous because of the salt content. salt in large amounts dehyrdrates the human body and therefore the water doesnt help in any way.

Answer 5

Salt, in large quantities, is dehydrating. So, if you drink sea water, your body acts as though you have not really had any water, since the salt in it dehydrates you.

Answer 6

Seawater contains more salt than your blood so it will actually dehydrate your body instead of hydrate it.

Answer 7

There is too much salt in saltwater.