The Importance of Hydration to Health and Longevity

Last month we took a deep dive into the importance of nutrition to health and longevity. This month we are going to zero-in on the various roles that the fluids we consume have in keeping us healthy and how proper hydration impacts both wellbeing, and how long we live.

In many respects this discussion keeps us in the same church but a different pew as last month. Both food and fluid serve to fuel the corporeal machine and are mandatory for survival but the immediate importance of one above the other is surprisingly critical. (You can live about 70 days without food, but only 3-5 without water). As important as hydration is to life, it’s true significance is casually taken for granted by most of us. In western society we are so fortunate in that if we are thirsty and want to drink, in the time it takes to crack a lid or turn on a tap, we have all the clean and safe water we want. As basic as this is to us, it would seem like magic to the 26% of the world's population, or about 2 billion people, lacking consistent access to safe drinking water, according to the UN World Water Development Report.

Take a second and think about the importance of water to life. In three to five days without it you are dead. So, what is it about water that makes it such a vital component of life. Let’s dive in:

• The human body is composed of roughly 60-70% water.

• Water plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature, the transportation of nutrients, joint lubrication, and eliminating waste.

• Water protects sensitive tissues and organs, including the brain, spinal cord, and eyes.

• Water aids in digestion and the absorption of nutrients from food.

• Water helps maintain skin moisture and elasticity, contributing to healthy-looking skin.

• Adequate hydration can improve energy levels and reduce fatigue.

• Staying hydrated can positively impact brain function, including focus and concentration.

• Drinking enough water helps prevent constipation and promotes regular bowel movements.

• Adequate water intake can help ward off the formation of kidney stones.

• Proper hydration improves immune system function.

• Fluid intake is a key component of the body’s natural detoxification process.

• Fluid levels impact blood pressure

• Water flushes body waste

• Water serves as a transfer medium and makes minerals and nutrients accessible for assimilation.

• Proper hydration improves physical performance.

It’s obvious after reading the above list, that when it comes to health, water is not just another pretty face. It may surprise you to find out that most of us are not drinking enough water to allow the above processes to operate with targeted efficiency.

One day in practice, I decided to ask each of my patients if they thought that they were drinking enough water. Of the 40 questioned, only 10 said they felt that they drank enough water, 5 said that they drank fluids such as coffee and pop but no water, 10 said that they had no idea, and the remaining 15 said that they drank some water but were not sure how much and that it varied day to day. The most interesting fact to come out of the exercise, was that none of the 40 questioned knew what optimum hydration was. In a 2023 study from Kettering Health, the authors note that most North Americans are dehydrated. Nearly 75% drink at most 2.5 cups of water, the equivalent of one bottled water, a day. And while multiple factors shape how much water a person needs to stay hydrated, suffice it to say: 2.5 cups aren’t enough. “The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine recommends an average daily water intake of about 125 ounces (roughly 15 cups, or just less than a gallon) for men and about 91 ounces for women. So, lets dig a little deeper and find out what happens when you live in even a moderately dehydrated state?

Minor dehydration, even if subtle, can lead to fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating, impacting overall well-being and physical performance according to a 2019 on-line article by Chloe Bennett B.Sc. for News Medical. If you happen to be over the age of 55, minor dehydration in elderly individuals can lead to fatigue, impaired cognitive function, increased risk of falls, potentially worsen other health conditions, and it gets worse. It is significantly associated with an increased rate of hospitalization and mortality. Dehydration causes a two-fold increase in mortality rate in stroke patients. Even mild dehydration is significantly related to memory impairment, lack of attention and concentration, and reduced reaction time.

According to the Mayo Clinic, many people, especially older adults, don't feel thirsty until they're already dehydrated.

In a 2024 blog posted on the TSR Injury Law website by Steve Terry, the author quotes:” A study from England’s Loughborough University found that sufficiently dehydrated drivers performed like legally drunk drivers in a driving test. Researchers split up study participants into two groups. One group consumed seven ounces of water every hour while the other drank less than one ounce of water per hour. The study participants then did a driving test, and researchers counted the number of errors each group made. The dehydrated group committed significantly more errors than the hydrated group, including drifting out of their lane, braking late or running over rumble strips. Researchers concluded the dehydrated group performed like drivers who had a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit.”

From a longevity perspective, according to a 2023 publication on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website, “proper hydration may slow down the aging process and prolong a disease-free life, and adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer compared to those who may not get sufficient fluids. On the other side of the coin, dehydration may accelerate aging and increase the risk of chronic diseases.”

Ok, so we know that water is critical to life, really bad things can happen when you don’t drink sufficiently, and most of us don’t drink enough, so what is the solution? Now I must tell you that there really is no fixed agreement on what the optimum water consumption for an adult would be. In an article on the Consensus website entitled: “How Much Water Should I Drink in a Day”, generated by Consensus AI (now there is a sign of the times), it is noted that “The commonly cited recommendation is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, which equals about 2 litres or half a gallon. This advice is often referred to as the “8×8 rule” and is easy to remember. However, individual water needs can vary based on several factors, including age, sex, weight, activity level, and overall health. (I prefer the recommendation of The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine referenced earlier, just under a gallon for men and slightly less for females.) AI really did not give us an answer, so let me share with you the strategy that I have found to be most effective in my 74 years of life.

• Never be thirsty. According to the Cleveland Clinic, if you are thirsty likely, you are already at least partially dehydrated.

• Always carry a source of water with you and sip from it regularly. One cup, which is three good swallows per waking hour.

• Alcohol, soft drinks, sweetened coffee/ tea, and power drinks don’t count. In fact, they can often contribute to dehydration.

• Ditch the plastic drinking containers of any description. According to Science News 2024, studies indicate that humans ingest approximately 5 grams of microplastics weekly, equivalent to the weight of a credit card, and that these particles can be found in various organs and bodily fluids.

• The older you are, the more consistently you need to hydrate to help maintain optimum cognitive function, balance, and physiology. According to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, “dehydration can impair cognitive function and potentially worsen dementia symptoms, including those associated with Alzheimer's.

  
  

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” — Leonardo da Vinci. –It doesn’t get any clearer than that.

About the Author: Dr. POOLEY has been in practice for over 46 years, is a former champion bodybuilder and author of the book the Un-Diet Diet.