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H2O: The World's First and Foremost Medicine

Updated: Dec 19, 2022


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Water makes up approximately 60% of our body weight making it one of the most important nutrients for our health and wellness. It can also be one of the most underrated and undervalued components of our health and wellness focus.

  • According to NIHA; staying hydrated is associated with a reduced risk of developing heart failure.


Dehydration can be defined as a dangerous loss of body fluids caused by illness, environment, or poor hydration practices. Some of the most common ways that a person can lose fluids could be from sweating, urinating, bowel movements, and even breathing. If dehydration occurs and is not addressed it can lead to changes in a person’s blood volume, heart rate, and blood pressure.


Symptoms associated with Dehydration are:

  • Extreme thirst

  • Less frequent urination

  • Dark-colored urine

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness

  • Confusion


Individuals considered to be at the highest risk for Dehydration:

  • Athletes

  • Children

  • Elderly

  • People with chronic illnesses


Signs of a person’s hydration level:

  • The color of our urine is the best indicator (pale and clear, lemonade colored).

  • Drink more fluids whenever urine is a darker color.


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Hydration needs will vary based on things like age, activity levels, and environment however, the suggested daily fluid intake is 6-8 cups for women and 8-12 cups for men. Another general rule of thumb for daily water intake would be to drink approximately 1 ounce of water for every kilogram of body weight (or) drink approximately half your body weight in ounces.


For Staying Hydrated During Exercise; The American Council on Exercise suggests that individuals can follow these basic guidelines for drinking water before, during, and after exercise:

  • Drink 17-20 oz. of water approximately 2-3 hours before you start exercising.

  • Drink 8 oz. of water 20-30 minutes before you start exercising/ warming up.

  • Drink 7-10 oz. of water every 10-20 minutes during exercise.

  • Drink 8 oz. of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise.


Other considerations for staying hydrated

  • Drinking beverages that contain essential electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium)

  • Eating foods with high water content (Watermelon, Strawberries, Cucumber, Lettuce)



What Else Could Happen?

Since dehydration can affect our blood volume and blood concentration; it’s not uncommon to see other areas of our health and body function being impacted:

  • Researchers have found that dehydration can have damaging effects on arterial health similar to cigarette smoking.


  • For diabetic patients; there was a 10-15% increase in blood sugar levels when certain water conservation hormones were stimulated through dehydration. Diabetic patients are able to manage their blood sugar better when they were properly hydrated.


  • Studies have shown that participants who restricted their fluid intake before getting blood work done tended to have higher cholesterol scores compared to testing done when they were properly hydrated.




Helpful Tip:

A helpful strategy may be for an athlete to measure their body weight before and after exercise to get a better understanding of their hydration needs. It’s recommended to drink approximately 16 to 24 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost from an exercise session.

Sources

“Good Hydration May Reduce Long-Term Risks for Heart Failure.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 29 Mar. 2022, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/good-hydration-may-reduce-long-term-risks-heart-failure.


Hannah. “The Importance of Water.” The Heart Foundation, 26 Apr. 2019, https://theheartfoundation.org/2019/03/08/the-importance-of-water/.


“Dehydration.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 14 Oct. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086.


Department of Health & Human Services. “Exercise - The Low-down on Hydration.” Better Health Channel, Department of Health & Human Services, 13 Jan. 2017, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Exercise-the-low-down-on-water-and-drinks.


Staff, Familydoctor.org Editorial. “Hydration for Athletes.” Familydoctor.org, 13 Aug. 2020, https://familydoctor.org/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration/.


Shrikant, Maya. “Watering Down Diabetes.” Link, 9 May 2019, https://research.asu.edu/20190509-watering-down-diabetes.


SL;, Campbell NR;Wickert W;Magner P;Shumak. “Dehydration During Fasting Increases Serum Lipids and Lipoproteins.” Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7895421/.


hollowc2. “Electrolyte Drinks: Beneficial or Not?” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 17 Dec. 2021, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/electrolyte-drinks-beneficial-or-not/.



https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2


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