How is Brain Health Affected by Dehydration?

What is one of the most important things to do daily to keep the brain healthy?

The answer: Re-hydrate

The brain is about 85% water, and can be seriously affected by as little as a 10% loss. Every day of life your body loses water through your breath, urine and sweat glands even when you’re not trying to work up a sweat. This is why it is critical to constantly re-hydrate your body and sodas, coffee and tea don't count toward this requirement.

These drinks are typically high in caffeine, which acts as a diuretic that can dehydrate rather than rehydrate . Worse yet sodas and fruit juices along with other sweetened beverages are primary sources of high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners which will only deteriorate your health.

So the answer is to drink pure water daily .The question is how much water do you need to drink each day? For decades the guideline has been you should drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day. For some people this may be too much and not enough for others.

Your water requirement can also vary wildly from day to day depending on a number of life factors, such as your activity level and weather conditions.

Fortunately, your body is equipped with a built in mechanism that tells you when you need to replenish your water supply. It’s called thirst. There’s also a simple way to gauge whether or not you need to drink more water even though you may not be feeling thirsty.

Watch for the Signs that Your Body Needs Water

When your body loses between one to two percent of its total water content, it signals the brain and you feel thirsty. Using thirst as a guide to how much water you need to drink is a good way to ensure your individual needs are met everyday. The problem is if you quench your thirst with soda you will actually dehydrate the body.

Most studies show that about 70% of the population are dehydrated and need to drink more water. This is particularly true for the elderly and children. It is also wise to listen to the more subtle signals your body sends telling you that you need to drink more water. These signals can be:

·         Fatigue

·         Mood swings

·         Hunger even after eating

·         Lack of concentration

·         Back pain

·         Painful  joints

·         Dry skin and deeper pronounced wrinkles

·         Infrequent urination

·         Constipation

According to recent research the senior population with dementia, are six times more likely to be dehydrated. Dehydration also tends to be more common among people taking more medication.

According to BBC News

’The reasons older people do not drink enough water is because as we age we lose our sense of taste so they may not be as thirsty to re-hydrate daily. They may also decide not to drink because of continence issues or because they don't have as much social contact or forgetfulness.’"

There are better ways to re-hydrate

While drinking water can help flush out toxins if it is unfiltered water there may be more pollutants than you realize. Most tap water contains an array of harmful contaminants, including chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical drugs.

Most of us feel we are doing something healthy by drinking bottled water but there are many reasons to reevaluate this option. Drinking from plastic water bottles can pose serious health risks from industrial chemicals like bisphenol A(BPA/BPS)which leach from the plastic itself into the contents of the bottle. BPA and BPS are chemicals linked to learning and behavioral problems.

Bottled water also costs about 1,900 times the price of regular tap water, and may or may not have received any additional treatment. Studies have shown that 40 percent of bottled water was regular tap water with possibly no additional filtering treatment. I recommend using glass jugs to store filtered water instead of plastic for all the reasons discussed earlier.

For occasions when you want some flavor simply add some fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice to your water. As noted in a previous blog lemon water has over a dozen health benefits.

Sliced cucumbers can also add a refreshing twist. If you want a touch of sweetness, add some natural Stevia which is among the safest sugar substitutes. Another option is to simply add a drop or two of natural peppermint extract or a few crushed mint leaves. If you want an electrolyte type “sports drink,” try coconut water, which is a rich natural source of potassium and electrolytes. Look for one that has no additives.

There’s no doubt that you need pure water for optimal health. Simply swapping out all the bottled beverages you indulge in for pure water can go a long way toward improving your brain health and concentration.  The amount, however, is something you need to fine tune based on your individual diet and activities.