On the hottest days, it is more important than ever to pay attention to your body’s hydration. If you don’t drink enough fluids to produce a sufficient amount of sweat, you may be more vulnerable to heat stroke. Dehydration can be caused by extreme heat, but it can also make other conditions worse, such as heat cramps.
So drinking fluids is crucial, but hydration can go beyond just drinking water. The popular belief that we all need to drink eight glasses a day to be truly hydrated persists, even though it has been debunked repeatedly.
— There’s really no data behind eight glasses of water a day — says Dan Negoianu, a nephrologist at the University of Pennsylvania. The doctor gives a well-known example that if your urine is dark, it’s because you’re dehydrated, and he says that doesn’t prove anything.
Negoianu explains that being hydrated simply means consuming enough fluids to not feel thirsty and this amount varies for everyone.
According to experts, there are many things, besides just drinking plain water, that will help you stay hydrated: including the foods and drinks you love in your eating routine will also be a big help. Here are some good suggestions.
“We think we need to drink lots of water all the time because we hear it over and over again,” says Tamara Hew-Butler, a sports medicine scientist at Wayne State University who specializes in fluid balance.
But any food or drink that contains liquid will be hydrating. She says the body doesn’t care where the hydration comes from, it just needs fluid.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal sources because not only do they tend to be high in water content, but they also contain fiber, which provides other benefits for your diet and health. Fruits from the melon family, such as watermelon, are particularly juicy. Strawberries, oranges, grapes, cucumbers and celery are also good food options with water.
Drinks of all types can be hydrating. Juices, milk, tea and coffee contain fluids that your body can benefit from. Drinks high in sugar may not be the best nutritional choice, but research shows that sugary liquids are just as effective as water at delivering fluids to your system. At high enough temperatures, of course, frozen desserts like popsicles and ice cream are useful for liquid consumption.
“You can meet and exceed your daily fluid needs by drinking high-moisture foods and beverages without drinking a single glass of plain water,” Hew-Butler said.
Caffeinated drinks can also be hydrating. Although caffeine is often considered a diuretic or dehydrating substance, research shows that drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages has the same hydrating or dehydrating effects as drinking water – especially if you regularly consume caffeine.
If you ingest a significant amount of caffeine after a long period without caffeine, you might experience a slight spike in dehydration, says Kelly Hyndman, a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who studies kidney function and fluid retention. But if you’re already consuming it regularly, caffeine won’t cause dehydration, he added — at least not at the levels people usually consume.
Don’t be afraid of salty foods
The researcher suggests that everyone has probably heard that salty foods are dehydrating, but that’s not entirely true. The human body is constantly trying to maintain a balance between salt and water, which it does with the help of various hormones. One of the most common is antidiuretic hormone, or ADH.
When we eat a lot of salty foods at once, our brain secretes ADH, which in turn tells our kidneys to retain water, preventing us from urinating excessively. At the same time, the brain secretes another hormone, vasopressin, linked to the feeling of thirst. Together, all of these hormones signal that you need more fluids. Eating too many salty foods is only a problem if you also ignore your thirsty moments, says Hew-Butler.
If you’re looking for salty, hydrating foods, olives and pickles are acceptable choices, although it’s rare for people to eat them in large quantities. Soup, especially water-based broths, can also help keep you hydrated.
But what’s really dehydrating is alcohol. Kelly Hyndman explains that alcohol suppresses ADH. So when consumed, “this hormone does not tell your kidney to reabsorb water” and any liquid you consume will pass through you.
Hydration treatment
“Most of us who say we’re dehydrated probably aren’t,” says Hyndman. Although some people are probably walking around a little dehydrated, she added, most are adequately or even overhydrated. If you complain of having a small bladder or go to the bathroom more often than you’d like, you may not need to consume as much fluid.
Those who need to be most diligent about active hydration are children, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions, says Hyndman.
The rest of us simply need to have a drink or eat liquid-filled foods when we’re thirsty and trust our instincts. Hew-Butler advises not to think about it too much.
— I think the rule “drink when you’re thirsty” is hard to argue with — says Negoianu, who recommends relying on your intuition to hydrate, excluding people with specific health conditions or extremely aggressive environments that could cause abnormal water loss.
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