The Importance of Staying Hydrated
by Dr. Julian Whitaker | Last Reviewed 03/30/2012
Filed Under: Diet, General Health
A wide range of health problems can develop if you don’t drink enough water
Severe dehydration is a well-recognized medical crisis. Brought on most often by prolonged bouts of
diarrhea, vomiting, or intense heat-related exercise, it can cause electrolyte imbalances, kidney failure,
seizures, and even death.
Mild dehydration, or hypohydration, however, has symptoms that are much more subtle, and it’s the
last thing most physicians would consider as an underlying cause of ill health.
But any degree of dehydration throws your body into rationing mode. To ensure survival, water is doled
out sparingly, leaving organs and tissues to deal with the consequences.
Some of the health problems that can result from dehydration include:
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Urinary Tract Woes
Digestive Disorders
Cardiovascular Concerns
Cognitive Dysfunction
Urinary Tract Woes
When you don’t drink enough water, your urine becomes concentrated, making it easier for calcium and
other minerals to precipitate out and create crystals. Over time, these crystals may form into small hard
masses (kidney stones) that are excruciatingly painful when passed out of the body.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also be prevented with adequate hydration. Drinking lots of water
increases urination and flushes bacteria out of the bladder and urethra. Upping your water intake to
eight ounces per hour is actually a recommended treatment for UTIs.
Digestive Disorders
Constipation responds well to increased water intake. As food moves through your digestive tract, water
is absorbed by the colon. When too much water is removed, stools become dry and hard.
Most everyone knows that fiber is helpful for constipation because it hangs onto water and keeps the
stool soft and bulky. But, you can eat fiber by the bucketful and you’re still going to have problems if
you’re dehydrated.
Water also induces gallbladder emptying, which helps prevent the formation of gallstones.
Some people swear a glass of water also relieves heartburn, and it can decrease acid levels in the
stomach. Be aware, however, that water on an empty stomach increases symptoms of heartburn in
some people. If you’re one of them, you’re better off drinking it with meals.
Cardiovascular Concerns
Mild dehydration increases the risk of numerous cardiovascular concerns, including stroke and venous
thrombosis. However, water’s effects on hypertension (high blood pressure) are the best studied.
When your brain senses that water supplies are low, it prompts the release of vasopressin, the
antidiuretic hormone. Vasopressin signals your kidneys to conserve, or reabsorb, more water and your
arteries to constrict—a classic recipe for high blood pressure.
Taking drugs to lower blood pressure may make matters worse. The first-line therapy for hypertension is
diuretics, so-called “water pills.” Diuretics lower blood pressure by prompting the kidneys to get rid of
sodium and water. In other words, these drugs make you urinate more. Problem is, this can lead to
dehydration as well as losses of water-soluble nutrients.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Chronic mild dehydration increases as we get older, thanks to changes in water-regulating hormones
and declines in kidney function. In addition, our sense of thirst becomes less acute—we just don’t notice
that we’re thirsty.
Short periods of water restriction have been shown to impair alertness and ability to concentrate in
people of all ages. I’m not saying that drinking more water is going to make anyone mentally sharper.
But, mild to moderate dehydration appears to exacerbate cognitive dysfunction in older people, and
some experts believe it may be a risk factor for more serious dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Residents of assisted care facilities and individuals with cognitive impairment or poor mobility are at
greatest risk.
From Asthma to Weight Loss
If what you just read isn’t enough to convince you that drinking plenty of water is essential to your
health, here are some other considerations.
Increasing your water intake has also been shown to:
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Reduce exercise-induced asthma
Improve joint and back pain by hydrating the cartilage
Prevent dental problems by ensuring adequate saliva production
Reduce post-exercise muscle soreness by flushing out toxins, and
Keep the skin firm by toning up collagen.
Drinking more water even appears to help with weight loss by suppressing appetite, burning a few
calories, and preventing water retention.
Source: http://www.healthydirections.com/importance-of-hydration?key=220229&utm_campaign=MultiProduct&utm_source=loy-email-all&utm_medium=email-Eletter&utm_content=hd-eletter_react110413&sm_mid=916115&sm_rid=916115.72501.11393
Read more: http://www.healthydirections.com/importance-of-hydration#ixzz2jhsX6Sll