What Are 5 Ways to Stay Hydrated?

What are 5 ways to stay hydrated?

Here are the five best ways to stay hydrated throughout the day, which can prevent dehydration and result in numerous health benefits.

Staying hydrated is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of healthy health. It becomes increasingly more crucial to stay hydrated as you age.

  • Adults aged 60 years and older are at a higher risk of dehydration for several reasons, including natural decreases in thirst and changes in body composition.
  • In addition, seniors are more prone to use diuretics and other drugs that promote fluid loss in the body.

Learn five of the best ways to stay hydrated below.

7 health benefits of staying hydrated

  1. Detoxification
    • Water promotes your body’s natural detoxification mechanisms, which eliminate waste and toxic chemicals through urine, breathing, sweat, and bowel movements. Supporting your body’s powerful, built-in detoxification systems will help improve your overall health.
  2. Helps with good heart health
    • Water makes up most of your blood. When you do not drink enough water, the blood gets concentrated, which might lead to a mineral imbalance (electrolytes). These minerals, such as potassium and sodium, are essential for your heart’s correct functioning.
  3. Kidney health
    • Kidney stones are mineral crystal aggregates that occur in the urinary system and are often excruciatingly painful. Drinking enough water each day might help disperse the concentration of minerals in the urinary system, making stones less probable. Water helps remove dangerous germs from the bladder and avoid urinary tract infections.
  4. Improves brain performance
    • Mild dehydration (as little as two percent fluid loss) can have an impact on memory, mood, focus, and response speed. Adding a few glasses of water to your daily diet can improve cognition, calm emotions, and even counteract symptoms of stress. This is especially significant for elderly persons, who are more prone to dehydration and reduced cognitive function.
  5. Regulates the body’s temperature
    • According to studies, dehydration causes the body to store more heat. This, in turn, reduces your tolerance to high temperatures. When you are hot during exertion, drinking enough water helps you create perspiration, which cools your body down. This built-in cooling system is crucial to avoiding heatstroke and other potentially fatal heat-related diseases.
  6. Provides energy
    • Dehydration can impair circulation and reduce the supply of oxygen to the brain. Inadequate fluid intake might force the heart to work harder to circulate oxygen throughout the body. All wasted energy might leave you feeling fatigued, sluggish, and unfocused. Simply drinking more water can keep you hydrated and give you more energy to go through the day.
  7. Reduces joint pain
    • The cartilage in the joints is made up of about 80 percent of water. Staying hydrated keeps the joints lubricated and reduces friction by forming a “cushion” between the bones. Less friction equals fewer aches and pains and smoother-moving joints.

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Medically Reviewed on 4/20/2022

References

Image Source: iStock image

Madison Memorial. 5 Steps to Stay Hydrated & Water Benefits on the Body. https://madisonmemorial.org/drink-water-and-stay-hydrated/

Davis JL. Top 10 Ways to Stay Hydrated. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/top-10-ways-to-stay-hydrated

Scripps Health. 6 Simple Ways to Stay Hydrated. https://www.scripps.org/news_items/6630-6-simple-ways-to-stay-hydrated