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I want to get healthier. Recommendations that a person should drink eight glasses of water a day also fail to take into account the fact that much of our fluid intake comes from food and other drinks. Some surveys suggest that around 20 percent of water intake comes from foodstuffs and the rest is from fluids.
This depends on diet. A higher intake of fresh fruit and vegetables will mean a higher intake of water from foods. Here are some examples of the water content of different foods and fluids:. Bottled or tap water are equally effective at hydrating the body. In terms of hydration, studies in the UK have not found any significant difference between drinking the two. Mineral waters contain different amounts of minerals, depending on where they come from, but this, too is not significant, as most minerals come from other dietary sources.
Caffeinated drinks are thought to be dehydrating as opposed to hydrating because of a belief that they have a diuretic effect on our water balance. A number of studies to test how caffeinated fluids affect hydration have shown that tea and coffee are in fact good sources of water and do not lead to dehydration.
One study of 18 healthy male adults found that no significant difference in impact on hydration, measured in body weight , urine and blood tests after a variety of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric, and non-caloric drinks.
Water is necessary for the body. The short-term symptoms of significant dehydration include :. Overheating can lead to organ damage, coma , and death.
The CDC urge people to make sure they drink enough water before, during, and after physical work, especially if this involves activity in a hot climate. This can help maintain alertness and effectiveness. In a hot environment, you may need one 8-ounce cup every minutes , but not more than 48 ounces in one hour, as this can lead to hyponatremia, a low level of sodium.
Plain water provides hydration without adding calories or jeopardizing dental health. Sports drinks can be useful in moderation, but too many will add unnecessary sugar to the body.
Studies suggest that long-term benefits of drinking water might include a lower risk of:. In addition, study participants with the lower risk of these conditions still drank fewer than eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. This may help them feel fuller faster during meals. If they choose water over sweetened juice or soda, they consume fewer calories.
In a study where people with obesity or overweight switched from sugary drinks to plain water, an average loss of 2 to 2. But this could be easily explained by a decrease in total calories rather than water itself. In children, a higher water consumption has been linked to better diets, behavior and overall health. These claims are not based on scientific facts. The liver, kidneys, and human body normally break down toxic substances into less harmful ones or expel them from the body through urine.
Water does not have a unique role in these processes. Too much water can lead to hyponatremia, also known as low sodium. Low sodium levels can be life-threatening causing confusion, seizures, coma and death.
During exercise, factors affecting the amount of fluid lost and the need for extra intake include:. Guidance from the American College of Sports Medicine ACSM , published in , recommends making an individual estimation of the fluid replacement needed by people taking part in exercise, to avoid dehydration.
Larger athletes may require higher fluid intake , for example, compared with smaller, leaner athletes, due to a larger body surface and higher body weight. The ACSM advises drinking water during activity to prevent:. The conclusions were supported by findings from a cycling time-trial over 25 kilometers in hot conditions of Results showed no difference in performance, physiological, and perceptual variables between participants who received hydration and those who did not.
A review of 15 studies found that exercise-induced dehydration did not reduce performance. Dehydration can be measured in terms of blood and urine osmolality. Osmolality is an estimation of the osmolar concentration of plasma. It reflects the concentration of particles in a solution. The main chemical making up the human body is water. The amount of water we need to take in to maintain a healthy balance is decided by how much water we use and lose that must be replaced.
Over the course of 24 hours, healthy resting adults regulate their water balance to within around 0. Moderate dehydration is when weight falls by 6 percent, and severe dehydration is when it falls by 9 percent. It is difficult to measure the amount of water used or lost by the body. Measures taken across groups of people in studies have shown wide variation. However, if people show symptoms of dehydration, such as confusion or decreased urine output, they need medical attention.
There is a popular concept that darker urine means a person is dehydrated, while pale urine shows they are adequately hydrated. However, it is difficult to assess the significance of urine color precisely. It depends on the time of day, medications, and other health problems. Tea- or cola-colored urine, particularly after exercise, can indicate serious muscle injury and severe dehydration and requires urgent medical attention.
However, in normal circumstances, urine that is well within the limits of normal osmolality in laboratory tests can appear moderately yellow. This does not indicate that a person is dehydrated. In addition, other factors such as diet, medications and health conditions can cause individuals to differ in their urine color. Without water, there is no life.
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