What is hydration?

Keeping your daily fluid intake levels at the right amount helps to ensure that your bodily functions can take place as normal. Water is essential for good health as it plays a crucial role in various processes, including digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste elimination. Maintaining a healthy body water balance is crucial for good hydration.

Let’s examine hydration, how much fluids we need to drink, what kind of drinks to choose and the signs of dehydration.

💧 What is hydration?

Hydration in simple terms is replacing lost fluid, particularly water that the body needs to function. The term hydration is often described in terms of the amount of water in the human body and may be described as being there being enough water in the body. The opposite of hydration is dehydration. Dehydration occurs when there is an inadequate supply of water.

💦 The importance of hydration

Water is essential for the proper functioning of the human body. It plays a key role in various processes, including digestion, nutrient absorption, maintaining body temperature, as a lubricant for joints and waste elimination. Water is approximately 60% of our body weight and is present in every cell, tissue, and organ. Maintaining hydration, which is a healthy body-water balance is important for overall well-being.

Dehydration is a state in which the body’s water content falls below the normal level, resulting in an imbalance of fluids and electrolytes. This can occur due to a variety of factors, including excessive sweating, diarrhoea, vomiting, or simply not drinking enough water. When the body does not have enough fluids, it struggles to maintain its normal functions, leading to a wide range of symptoms.

Dehydration can range from mild to severe. Mild dehydration may cause thirst, headaches, and fatigue, while moderate dehydration can lead to dizziness, dry mouth and decreased urine production. Severe dehydration on the other hand can be life-threatening, causing symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, confusion and even organ failure.

🥛 How to stay hydrated every day

Drink water

When thinking about how to rehydrate, always go for plain water as your first choice. It’s cheap and contains no added sugars or calories. Water is vital for virtually every bodily function, including body temperature regulation, transporting nutrients, removing harmful waste and digestion.

There isn’t a correct answer to the amount of water you should be drinking. It will vary for everyone depending on age, location, activity level and your health. For a guideline, The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies suggests that well-hydrated people typically drink about:

• 3.7 L (125 oz) of water daily if they are male
• 2.7 L (91 oz) of water daily if they are female

These 2 to 3 litres need not come strictly from drinking glasses of water, but through high water content foods also.

Eat foods with high water content

Adjusting your dietary habits can help restore fluid levels. Consume hydrating foods such as cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, blueberries, strawberries, lettuce, celery and courgettes. These fresh fruits and vegetables have a high water content and are a good source of hydration. They also contain other essential vitamins and minerals which help to support health and wellness. You can also consume clear broths, ice pops or sports drinks (especially if you’re doing intense exercise).

Keep water on you

Keeping a reusable water bottle on you makes it much easier to grab a regular sip and take in enough water. Have it on your desk at work, in your bag when out and about or take it with you when travelling. This can help to create a healthy habit of regularly sipping water throughout the day. Just make sure you refill your bottle of water as soon as it’s empty, or at regular intervals, to hit your water intake.

Drink an oral rehydration solution

Oral rehydration solutions are specialised rehydration drinks used to prevent and treat dehydration. These are usually used when someone suffers from conditions such as diarrhoea or severe vomiting, which both cause large amounts of fluid loss. These formulations replace lost fluids and electrolytes and help the body recover and restore hydration levels. Electrolytes like sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium have several benefits, like maintaining fluid balance and helping the body to hydrate faster than water alone.

Rehydration drinks are similar to sports drinks, but without the backing of science. They tend to include sugar, salt, and other electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions have more electrolytes and less sugar.

🤒 Symptoms of dehydration

Some common symptoms include:

• Increased thirst
• Lightheadedness
• Dark yellow urine
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Bad breath

🦠 Causes of dehydration

Several factors can contribute to the development of dehydration.

Excessive fluid loss

Conditions or activities that lead to excessive fluid loss, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, excessive sweating, or intense exercise, can increase the risk of dehydration and associated stomach pain.

Low fluid intake

Simply not drinking enough fluids, particularly water or other hydrating fluids can result in dehydration and accompanying digestive discomfort.

Intense exercise

Intense physical activity produces sweat which evaporates from the skin as heat, causing you to lose body fluid and increase the risk of dehydration.

Certain medications

Some medications, such as diuretics, laxatives, and antidepressants, can increase the risk of dehydration, contributing to stomach pain.

Underlying health conditions

Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disorders, or gastrointestinal diseases, can predispose individuals to dehydration.

Environmental factors

Hot weather, high altitude, and other environmental factors that increase fluid loss can also lead to dehydration.

👴 Why hydration is more important for older adults

Adults aged 65 and above are at a higher risk of dehydration. They don’t carry as much water in their bodies and can’t always tell if they are thirsty. Older people are also more likely to take diuretics and other medications that cause fluid loss in the body.

👶🏽 🧒 Why hydration is more important for young children and infants

We can all become dehydrated if we don’t drink enough water, however babies and young children are at a higher risk. This is because they may be unable to tell us that they’re thirsty and have a lower body weight, making them more sensitive to fluid loss. Monitoring the amount of fluids your child takes in when they are unwell is important, to prevent dehydration and constipation.

👩🏻‍🍼 Why hydration is more important for pregnant and breastfeeding women

During pregnancy, plenty of fluids are needed for many reasons, such as to make the amniotic fluid in the womb for the growing baby, to carry extra nutrients and the removal of waste products. When breastfeeding women lose body fluids this needs to be replaced to keep the baby hydrated and to help produce breast milk. Keeping hydrated also prevents the development of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are common after giving birth.

🏥 When to seek medical advice

The easiest way to hydrate is to drink plenty of fluids and water is a great option. If you’re dehydrated because you’ve been sweating a lot from intense exercise, a sports drink might be your best choice. Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea may however require an oral rehydration solution. Eating hydrating foods like vegetables and fruit will also help, as they contain a lot of fluid. Remember, always contact a healthcare professional for medical advice if your symptoms worsen, as problems with heart rate, blood pressure, kidney stones and UTIs can develop.

Sources

• Water, drinks and hydration – NHS
• Dehydration – NHS
• Dehydration: Symptoms & Causes
• How to Stay Hydrated: A Guide for Older Adults
• The importance of hydration – British Dietetic Association (BDA)