Headlines are designed to grab your attention, but they can often be misleading, especially if you don’t take the time to read the fine print. This is especially true when it comes to stories about health and nutrition.

In recent months there have been a lot of confusing headlines: “Too Much Water Can Kill You,” “Eating Less Fat Doesn’t Protect Against Heart Disease,” “Calcium Fails to Keep Bones Strong, But Causes Kidney Stones.” These statements are so contrary to what most people believe that they create lots of excitement and controversy. But are they accurate? That depends.

Headlines about drinking too much water were fueled by two events – a study about a life threatening condition that sometimes occurs in endurance athletes known as hyponatremia or low blood sodium, and a story about a young man who died from water toxicity during a fraternity hazing.

According to the study, marathon runners who only drank plain water during races, especially in hot weather, were in danger of diluting the sodium concentration in their blood. This could lead to serious consequences such as swelling of the brain, heart failure and even death. These athletes, who often run for hours at a time, lose significant amounts of sodium and other electrolytes along with water through perspiration. If they only replace the water, hyponatremia can result. The unfortunate student who was forced to drink mass quantities of water in a short period of time also succumbed to excessive dilution of his blood.

So should you worry about drinking too much water? Not unless you are planning on running a marathon or drinking gallons of water at a time. For most people, the problem isn’t too much water, it’s not enough. In fact according to one study as many as 80% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Even a small drop in your body’s water level can give you a headache, make you feel tired or weak, increase your risk of injury and dry out your skin. It can cause constipation, increase your risk of having a heart attack, kidney stones and bladder cancer and even fool you into thinking you are hungry when in fact all you really need is a drink.

If you are going to be doing any kind of exercise for extended periods of time, or in extreme heat, a sports drink is definitely in order, but the rest of the time, drinking water is quite safe and a better way to go since it doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or calories.

What about the news that fat doesn’t lower your risk for heart disease? Again, it’s important to look at the details. The study behind the headlines was done on women with an average age of 62, most of whom did not reduce their fat intake as much as was recommended, and many of whom remained overweight. The study also only looked at their total fat intake, not the kinds of fat they were eating. This is important because all fats are not created equal.

Saturated and trans fatty acids clog your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease, but monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, and Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flax seeds, are actually good for your heart. They are cornerstones of the heart healthy Mediterranean Diet. But even healthy fats are high in calories. Since being overweight definitely increases your risk of heart disease, not eating more fat than your body needs remains a healthy decision.

The reports about calcium, vitamin D and bone health also warrant a closer look. Like the fat headlines, they are all based on a single study. This one looked at the effects of calcium supplements in middle-aged and elderly women. It didn’t measure effects in younger women and it didn’t look at calcium consumed in food. Also, like the heart study, not all of the women fully complied with the guidelines. However, those who consistently took the full dose of the recommended supplements did experience a significant reduction in hip fractures.

Calcium is an important component of a healthy diet; one that does far more in your body than just maintain strong bones and teeth. It helps keep your blood pressure under control, supports a healthy nervous system, and can even help you lose weight. That’s why following the general recommendation to get about 1500 milligrams of calcium, preferably from food, is still sound advice. As for the small increase in kidney stones, it was outweighed by the improvements in bone health. Besides, the study doesn’t mention how much water the participants were drinking so there is no way to tell whether the increase in kidney stones was from too much calcium or not drinking enough water.

Whenever you see stories like these it’s important to remember that results from just one study may or may apply to you, and they aren’t always meaningful. Unlike the media, scientists don’t get excited about one study or preliminary research. They get excited when study after study consistently produces similar results. At least for right now, those results indicate that you should drink plenty of water, try to avoid consuming too much of the wrong kind of fat, and make sure you get enough calcium every day.

Cindy Heroux RD is a nationally recognized speaker and author of The Manual That Should Have Come With Your Body, a simple guide to living healthfully. She provides exciting keynotes and informative seminars to private and professional organizations, and offers corporate wellness programs custom designed to improve the health and productivity of your employees. To learn more, please visit her website at SpeakingofWellness.com or call (407) 366-6337.