3 tips to keep your body hydrated – 03/20/2023 – Balance

Do you drink enough water?

Water is essential, for example, to keep joints lubricated, for cells to feed and to regulate body temperature.

It is also essential for most of our body’s functions.

Our body has water in more than half of its composition — between 55% and 60%.

But what does “stay hydrated” really mean?

Check below myths and recommendations.

Don’t get carried away just by thirst to know if you’re well hydrated

Although thirst is the most obvious way for our body to tell us that we need water, this may not be enough, as it is an indicator that deteriorates with age and, depending on the circumstances, may not be the most reliable.

Thirst is a mechanism that scientists believe occurs in an area of ​​the brain known as lamina terminalis.

Many of your cells are not protected by the blood-brain barrier, which prevents the invasion, for example, of certain types of bacteria, viruses and toxins.

Therefore, the lamina terminalis suffers more wear and tear over the years.

“The feeling of thirst varies between people and gets worse with age”, explains doctor Natalia Dmitrieva to BBC News Mundo, who has just published a study for the NIH (National Institutes of Health, its acronym in English) of the USA on the relationship between good hydration and a healthy old age.

And because lamina terminalis function can be impaired, experts recommend getting into the habit of hydration.

“The best way to stay well hydrated is to be actively aware of how much fluid we consume each day,” warns Dmitrieva.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the US recommends small changes in routine, such as carrying a water bottle with you or ordering water at restaurants instead of another type of beverage, to get used to drinking more water.

To stay well hydrated, experts recommend drinking 8 glasses of water a day, although this amount can vary.

“The US National Academies of Medicine, for example, suggest that most women should consume between 6 and 9 cups (1.5 to 2.2 liters) of fluid per day, and men, 8 to 12 cups (2 to 3 liters)”, points out Dmitrieva.

“These recommendations are created by scientists and medical professionals based on current knowledge about the amount of water needed to maintain a healthy water balance.”

But the truth is that hydration doesn’t just depend on water consumption. There are foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, whose composition is mostly water and which also help to keep us hydrated.

That’s because food is our main source of electrolytes, nutrients — such as potassium and magnesium — essential for maintaining body hydration, as they help regulate chemical reactions that occur within cells, in addition to maintaining fluid balance between the internal part and external to it.

Foods like bananas, avocados and yogurt are packed with potassium, while spinach and walnuts are good sources of magnesium.

Pay attention to alcohol and coffee consumption

If you drink coffee often, beware.

Caffeine, the stimulant compound in coffee, is well known to have diuretic properties. That is, it stimulates the production of urine and the elimination of liquids.

But the levels of caffeine we normally consume are too low to cause dehydration and, in some cases, can have the opposite effect.

A study from the School of Sport Science at the University of Birmingham in the UK concluded that there was no change in the hydration levels of 50 men who consumed between 3 and 6 cups of coffee a day because the body gets used to caffeine levels.

“The data suggest that coffee, when consumed in moderation by men accustomed to caffeine, has hydrating qualities similar to those of water,” says the study.

According to research, for coffee to have a considerable diuretic effect, a person must drink the equivalent of 5 cups a day, that is, more than 500 mg of caffeine.

Otherwise, the levels of water consumed with coffee are greater than the diuretic properties of caffeine.

The same principle can be seen in alcoholic beverages and alcohol percentages.

In the case of alcoholic beverages, their potential to dehydrate us depends on the degree of alcohol they contain.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that drinking high-alcohol spirits caused more dehydration than drinking beer, even when the same amount of alcohol was consumed.

The secret lies in the alcohol/water ratio, which in the case of beer is, on average, 5% versus 95%, in wine it is 20% versus 80% and in the case of certain liquors — such as gin and whiskey — it is 40% versus 60%.

That’s why experts recommend drinking in moderation and consuming lots of water if you’re drinking high-alcohol beverages.

And for those who believe that “a beer hydrates,” says Dmitrieva, “beer should not be used as a hydrating drink due to alcohol’s negative effect on overall health.”

Do not replace water with other beverages to hydrate

While it’s true that electrolyte drinks can help accelerate hydration in certain circumstances—after a rapid loss of electrolytes through sports activities or during illness, for example—experts agree that when it comes to hydration, “there’s nothing better than water”.

And this has to do with the components of many drinks that claim to be hydrating, such as isotonic drinks.

“Average people should consume water — not sports drinks — to stay hydrated,” says the CDC, adding that the sugars and additives these drinks sometimes contain can increase the risk of obesity and other conditions, such as diabetes.

And this is especially important in the case of children and adolescents.

A 2011 study from the US Academy of Pediatrics clarifies that, although “child athletes may benefit from using sports drinks that contain carbohydrates, proteins, or electrolytes (…) Using sports drinks instead of water in the school cafeteria is usually unnecessary for the child engaged in routine physical activity”

If someone is bothered by the taste of water, the CDC recommends natural solutions, such as adding a few drops of lemon or lime or promoting the consumption of beverages that do not contain sweeteners of any kind.

Dmitrieva notes that “there is growing evidence from epidemiological studies linking chronic hypohydration to adverse health outcomes.”

“Those who are hypohydrated age faster, are 64% more likely to develop chronic diseases later in life and 21% more likely to die early”, concludes the specialist.