Are you drinking enough water? Research shows many people do not. As a result, they walk around in a state of mild dehydration and don’t even know it. The human body is 60-70% water, showing how important a liquid environment is for health. Hydration is so important that even mild dehydration can have serious health consequences. According to studies, being 2% hydrated, a level of dehydration where you don’t feel yet thirsty, can cause fatigue, a low mood, and headache.
What you might not realize is drinking more water may lower the risk of some health problems. Let’s look at 7 of those, so you can see why hydration matters for your health and well-being.
Blood Clots
Blood clots block blood vessels and starve tissues of oxygen and block the flow of blood through an artery or vein, but the real danger comes when blood clots move to other sites. For example, a blood clot that forms in a vein in your leg can travel to your lungs, a life-threatening event. One way to lower your risk is to drink more water. Drinking water thins your blood, so there’s less risk of a clot forming and blocking a vessel.
Another way to reduce the risk of a blood clot forming in a leg vein is to get up and walk around frequently or stretch your legs, so blood flow doesn’t stagnate. Taking these two steps can greatly lower your odds of developing blood clots.
Kidney Stones
Ouch! Kidney stones are painful. As nephrologists, doctors who deal with kidney stones will tell you, the best way to lower your risk of kidney stones is to stay well-hydrated. Water dilutes your urine, so there’s less chance for calcium and oxalate in your urine to cluster together and form calcium oxalate stones, the most common type.
Kidney stones are more common in the summer when people sweat more, lose more fluid, and have more concentrated urine. Adding lemon to water can reduce the risk of kidney stones even more, due to the citric acid in lemon juice. Plus, a squirt of lemon will add a bit of vitamin C to your water.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections are more common in women since they have a short urethra, the part of the urinary tract that opens to the outside. Some women get repeated urinary tract infections, especially in the summer when they don’t drink enough fluids. Drinking water lowers the risk of these uncomfortable infections by reducing the concentration of the urine, so bacteria have a harder time sticking to the bladder wall and setting up an infection. It’s another reason to hydrate. If you’re well-hydrated, your urine should be no darker than a pale yellow.
Bladder Cancer
Can staying hydrated lower your risk of bladder cancer? A study that looked at almost 48,000 people found that the risk of bladder cancer dropped by 7% with every 240-milliliter increase in fluid intake. Although this study only shows a correlation between fluid consumption and bladder cancer risk, there are reasons drinking more fluid would reduce the risk. When you drink more water, it creates diluter urine, and the more dilute your urine, the fewer carcinogens contact your bladder wall. You’re more likely to flush those carcinogens out of your system before they cause problems. Smokers have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer, so it’s important that they drink more water, along with kicking the habit!
Colon Cancer
Can staying well hydrated reduce your risk of colon cancer too? Animal studies suggest it can. When you drink more water, food moves more quickly through your intestinal tract, and carcinogens have less opportunity to interact with the walls of your colon. Colon cancer cases are on the increase among people under 50, so anything that might lower the risk is a positive. Don’t forget about regular colon cancer screening either. Screening can detect precancerous polyps before they become a full-blown cancer.
Depression
Some research links dehydration with worsening of depression. It’s not surprising, as studies show mild dehydration can cause mood disturbances, including depressive symptoms and fatigue. Studies in animals reveal that dehydration triggers changes in the brain neurotransmitter serotonin that may worsen symptoms of depression. Plus, dehydration zaps motivation, further worsening depressive symptoms. Therefore, drinking enough water may improve your mood too.
Brain Fog
Your brain depends on a constant supply of glucose and oxygen, and dehydration reduces the delivery of these essentials. Even mild dehydration affects cognitive function and reduces productivity. Plus, you feel less motivated when you’re mildly dehydrated. When you don’t consume enough water, your brain contracts somewhat in volume, and brain function suffers. If you don’t drink water for any other reason, do it for your brain! No one benefits from having a foggy brain.
Other Perks of Drinking Enough Water
Boosting water intake also reduces the risk of developing urinary tract infections in women and constipation in both sexes. Being well hydrated improves exercise performance too and may lower the risk of muscle cramps, especially if you drink an electrolyte-rich beverage.
The Bottom Line
Now you know why drinking water is so important. Are you drinking enough of it? Carry a stainless-steel water bottle with you and sip on it frequently. To make water more palatable, add herbs or fruit slices to give it healthy flavor. Avoid drinking bottled water in plastic bottles though as there are concerns about the plasticizer from the bottle leaching into the water. Don’t forget to stay hydrated!
References:
- “DOES WATER PREVENT STONES – WHAT’S YOUR BET? | Kidney ….” kidneystones.uchicago.edu/water-prevent-stones-whats-bet/.
- “5 steps for preventing kidney stones – Harvard Health.” 04 Oct. 2013, health.harvard.edu/blog/5-steps-for-preventing-kidney-stones-201310046721.
- Tian Y, Cai X, Wazir R, Wang K, Li H. Water consumption and urinary tract infections: an in vitro study. Int Urol Nephrol. 2016 Jun;48(6):949-54. doi: 10.1007/s11255-016-1262-7. Epub 2016 Mar 18. PMID: 26992936.
- DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2004.99.245 Journal of Clinical Oncology 22, no. 2 (January 15, 2004) 383-385.
- “The Connection Between Dehydration and Depression- Ningbo ….” 17 Aug. 2020, hangdi.com/news/the-connection-between-dehydration-and-depression.html.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Can Drinking More Water Improve the Quality of Your Diet?
5 Ways Drinking More Water Can Improve Your Health
Can Drinking More Water Help You Lose Weight?
Do You Really Need to Drink 8 Glasses of Water Daily?
Is Coffee a Good Hydration Drink: What Does New Research Show?
6 Signs You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
Exercise Hydration Tips to Stay Safe While Working Out
Not Drinking Enough Water May Be Worse for You Than You Think
What Role Does Hydration Play in Boosting Muscle Hypertrophy?
