Go grab a bottle of water then come back and read this.  No, seriously, go get yourself some water.

Human beings have an undeniable thirst for water. It’s the most important nutrient for us on the planet, and ideally, we should be drinking water all day, every day. Although a simple recipe, it can be a challenge to keep up with this near-constant need for water.

55-75% of your body weight comes from water. To put this into perspective, the average 150 lb person is 82.5-112.5 lbs of water. Unfortunately, an estimated 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.  How can this be?, you ask.  We have potable (that means drinkable) water everywhere in this country.  The water from our faucets is drinkable, the water from our showers is drinkable, and most people can even drink out of their garden hose. Granted, there can be some impurities or minerals that make it taste a little funky or it could be close to the government limits for toxins.  But, compared to many other countries, we have great water here in the U.S. We are truly blessed by this abundance. We also have access to innumerable types of bottled waters and water filtration systems. This being said, Why are so many people dehydrated?

I’ve asked my patients why they don’t drink enough water.  Here are the most common answers I receive and some of my snarky thoughts on them… They don’t have time during the day. (I’m not sure what kind of production people are making out of drinking water that takes so long. Seriously, pick up bottle – sip – put down – done!  Repeat every 5-10 minutes. ) They forget to drink water. (For me this would be like forgetting to breathe. I love water.) They don’t like the taste of water. (This I do not understand.  Did I mention that I LOVE water? And it doesn’t really taste like anything.) They don’t want to have to pee very often. (Ummm, ok???)  They think that they get enough water from other drinks. (Ya, probably not. I’ll cover this later.)

What Makes You Dehydrated?

This is pretty simple. If you take in less water than your body expends per day, you can become dehydrated.  Sometimes this is readily apparent – run a marathon, work outside in 90 degree heat all day, etc. and, obviously, you’ll get dehydrated if you don’t drink extra water. However, most of the time we don’t even realize we have a negative daily water balance (less in than out). Even a slightly negative balance day after day will add up to dehydration over time. A survey of 3,003 Americans found that 75 percent likely had a net fluid loss, resulting in chronic dehydration. Although the study found that most Americans drank about eight servings of beverages per day, this is offset by drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol and eating a diet high in sodium. [i]

How do we lose water from our bodies?

The first two things that come to mind are probably peeing and sweating.  These are the big two.  But, did you realize that you are losing water through your skin all day and night long, even when you don’t feel sweaty?  You also lose a significant amount of water as you breathe.   Poop (Yes, I said poop.  I’ll do a whole article on poop one of these days.  Naturopathic doctors love talking about poop!)  and tears also take away fluids.  If you have an illness that includes a fever, diarrhea or vomiting you lose even more water.  Women also lose fluids each month with their menses.  All this water loss adds up.  If you don’t replace these fluids on a regular basis you can become dehydrated.

 Symptoms of Dehydration

Dehydration is one of the most common preventable medical conditions in the world, and it affects millions in the United States. Yet for something so common, most of us are unaware of its dangers.  Symptoms of dehydration run from mild and almost unnoticeable to severely disruptive and possibly life threatening.  The severity of symptoms depends on the amount of dehydration, how long you’ve been dehydrated, and your own body size and chemistry.

 How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?

Most people underestimate the amount of water they lose and overestimate the amount they take in.   The water counsel estimates that the average person needs between 9 and 12 cups (72oz – 96oz) of water per day based on a caloric expenditure of 2200-3900 calories per day. In addition, an average person sweats roughly 28 to 48oz per hour during exercise.

Let’s make this simple… I tell my patients to drink ½ their body weight in ounces each day unless they have a medical condition that limits their water intake. This keeps the math easy. You should add more water if you are working out or it’s a really hot day. You should not wait until you are thirsty to drink because by then your body is already dehydrated, in a deficit of up to two cups of fluids.

Ideally you should drink water all day long.  Start with a full glass of water upon waking then continue to sip on water all day long.  Keep refilling your bottle, and keep track of how much you drink.  It might take some “practice” before you can easily drink this much water each day without thinking about it.  Even if you don’t feel thirsty, drink water consistently throughout the day anyway.  Many people have ignored their thirst for so long that they don’t even recognize when their bodies tell them they’re thirsty. The complex signaling comes from the thirst center in your hypothalamus.  Not only can you learn to ignore the thirst signal, but this signaling mechanism tends to dampen with age.  As a result, dehydration is very common in the elderly.  Be sure to drink water even if you aren’t thirsty, drink it so you don’t become thirsty!  We love preventative medicine.

 What Else Counts as Drinking Water?

Honestly, there’s nothing quite as good as water for hydration.  Coffee absolutely does not count toward your daily water intake. Coffee contains a lot of caffeine which is a diuretic (makes you pee more) so you should drink an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee you drink.  Sodas, iced tea, coffee, and other drinks that contain caffeine are second best to good old-fashioned water when you’re trying to stay hydrated.

Juice and pop are basically liquid sugar.  Yes, you’re getting fluids from them, but the blood sugar spikes and inflammation you develop from all that sugar aren’t healthy.  Herbal teas (hot or iced) are a good choice as long as you skip or limit the amount of sweetener in them.  If you’re not a fan of plain water try tossing a few berries into your bottle to give it a little flavor.  Try adding some fresh mint or basil leaves.  Adding a few slices of cucumbers, lemons, limes, oranges, apple or grapefruit is also a good way to give your water some flavor without adding a bunch of additional sugar, calories, or chemicals.  Try ice water, warm water, hot water. Figure out what you like.

Many foods contain a significant amount of water and can help with hydration.  But, be careful of how much sugar you are ingesting if you start adding a lot more fruit to your diet.

SOME BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER:

  1. Boost your energy– if you are feeling tired, try drinking a bottle of water. Fatigue is a common dehydration symptom, and it’s said to be the #1 cause of midday fatigue. Staying hydrated helps your heart pump more effectively to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your cells.
  2. Stay sharp– dehydration can make your mind feel foggy. Even mild dehydration has been shown to put stress on our cognitive functioning. Studies of younger adults showed that dehydration is linked to a dip in concentration and short-term memory, as well as an increase in feelings of anxiety and irritability. Studies of children, showed that good hydration can improve attention and memory. [ii]
  3. Eat less– water has no calories and can fill you up, helping you eat less at or between meals. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are actually thirsty.  Your body is telling you to eat foods in the hopes of getting some water out of them.
  4. Stay slim– water also increase your metabolism. One study found that drinking cold water helped boost healthy men and women’s metabolic rate by 30%. [iii] The researchers concluded that the body expended more energy heating the cold water, which resulted in the boost in metabolism.
  5. Stay fit– drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates joints in the body. It can also help you work out longer before becoming fatigued.
  6. Look younger– water plumps your skin making fine lines and wrinkles appear less deep. It also flushes out toxins and improves circulation so your skin can have a healthy natural glow.
  7. Reduce acne– water flushes toxins from your body also helps create healthy clearer skin.
  8. Reduce stress– your brain is 75% water. Dehydration puts stress on your brain and body.  Keeping hydrated lessens this stress.
  9. Stay regular– water helps reduce constipation by promoting regular, softer bowel movements. Poop, it’s good to poop!
  10. Reduce kidney stones– dehydration is one of the most common causes of kidney stones. Drinking plenty of water will dilute the minerals in your urine that form the crystals known as kidney stones. The stones cannot form in diluted urine.
  11. Reduce urinary tract infections– when you are dehydrated you pee less often giving bacteria more time to grow and attach to the walls of your urinary tract. Drinking water helps you urinate more often which flushes bacteria and toxins out of your bladder and urethra before they have a chance to thrive.
  12. Reduce inflammation– water helps remove toxins that build up in our bodies.  These toxins can create inflammation and pain.
  13. Decrease allergy/cold symptoms– drinking plenty of water can help thin mucus secretions which may help to prevent a runny nose from becoming a sinus infection or stuffy ears becoming an ear infection.

Hopefully you are now motivated to increase your daily water intake.  Even if you can’t get to the recommended amount, any increase will make you feel better inside and out.

Remember: Do more than exist… EXCEL!

[i] Survey of 3003 Americans, Nutrition Information Center, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (April 14, 1998).

[ii] McKinley, M. J., & Johnson, A. K. (2004). The physiological regulation of thirst and fluid intake. Physiology, 19(1), 1-6.

[iii] Benton, D. (2011). Dehydration influences mood and cognition: a plausible hypothesis?. Nutrients, 3(5), 555-573.

[iv] Boschmann, M, Et. Al (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 88(12), 6015-6019.

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html