My last blog post looked at Nutrition, one of the Pillars of Health as described by the United Chiropractic Association. Here we look at hydration and its importance. See if there’s any health changes you could be making in 2019…

How much water should you drink?

2 litres is often quoted as the ideal amount, but you can add or take a little depending on your size. You can have more when very active or if ill. And remember to drink before you get thirsty.

To stay well hydrated:

• Aim to make water your drink of choice
• Have a glass of water when you wake up, and with meals
• Avoid caffeine based drinks and alcohol as they have a diuretic effect
• Sugary drinks are less hydrating
• Fruit and salads are mostly water and also contain essential nutrients

The importance of hydration:

Water assists cardiovascular health – well hydrated blood is easier to for the heart to pump around the body. Muscle cells also have an easy time working when you’re well hydrated, dehydration causes fatigue to kick in more quickly. The kidneys, which filter toxins from the blood also have an easier time when you’re well hydrated, dehydration may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Brain function is also impacted by fairly minor levels of dehydration – concentration, mood and memory can all be negatively affected. If you’re aiming to lose weight then drinking water has 2 benefits – it makes you feel more full, especially if you have a glass of water before a meal, and it also increases you metabolic rate for up to 1.5 hours after a drink – meaning more calories burned.

Perhaps the most interesting article I found when researching this topic relates to dementia. It looks at the link between chronic dehydration and dementia and theorises a link between dehydration and synaptic damage. The full article is at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986442/

Cheers!

Reference: UCA, One Medical, Healthline, PubMed