How Dehydration Affects the Body

We all have to avoid dipping low on the hydration scale. But why should we care so much?

You may be surprised by how much dehydration can affect your mental and physical health. Here are a few key areas that will take a hit when you don’t sip enough:

Skin

“Dehydration can make skin lose elasticity and suppleness, which may cause skin to look more wrinkled than it is,” said Kleiner. “Staying hydrated helps skin act as that protective barrier to the elements.”

Dry and non-supple skin is one of the easiest signs that we can see, agrees Sears: “Most of our internal water is lost through the skin. If you are not hydrated, the skin is the first organ to suffer by being overly dry and non supple.”

Energy

“Staying hydrated helps maintain our energy levels by keeping muscles energized. Plus, dehydration can manifest as fatigue or low energy, so staying hydrated will help prevent that,” says Kleiner.

Even mild dehydration can affect your mood, energy level and ability to think clearly.

What does water have to do with energy in the body? “Your cells need adequate hydration to optimize the production of energy from food,” explains Sears. “If you don't have adequate hydration in the cells, your ability to produce energy (such as ATP) is reduced and you feel fatigued.”

Even being mildly dehydrated can have effects on your mood, energy level and ability to think clearly, according to studies conducted at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory. So the next time that mid-afternoon slump hits, consider trading the trip to the vending machine for one to the water cooler.

Sleep

“There is little research on how dehydration may impact sleep, but if you’re experiencing muscle cramping, headaches or dizziness due to dehydration, chances are that you likely won’t be getting good quality of sleep,” says Kleiner. Plus, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that male subjects experienced fatigue, tension and anxiety when mildly dehydrated. As we know, stress (and its symptoms) can affect our sleep quantity and quality.

Productivity

“The neurons in the brain require adequate hydration to maintain optimization transmission of neurotransmitters,” says Sears. Even mild dehydration can result in disorientation, dizziness and fuzzy thinking, added Kleiner.

A study published in The Journal of Nutrition found thatmild dehydration caused headaches, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. The female subjects also perceived tasks as more difficult when slightly dehydrated. So consider swapping that pre-meeting coffee for a glass of ice water to be the most alert.

Overall Health

“While staying hydrated improves tangibles we can see (like the improved appearance of skin and high-quality athletic performance), hydration is perhaps more important for functions we can’t see,” says Kleiner.

“Adequate fluid intake helps maintain our body-fluid balance, which is important for saliva production and maintaining body temperature. Staying hydrated also helps keep our kidneys functioning properly, so they can do their job of transporting waste products into and out of cells and preventing the buildup of blood urea nitrogen, which gets excreted in urine. Chronic dehydration can result in kidney stones. And, last but certainly not least, water helps maintain normal bowel movements, which can certainly influence your mood and energy levels.“

MORE STAY HYDRATED STRATEGIES

• I Stayed Hydrated for Two Weeks and It Changed My Life [https://www.nbcnews.com/better/diet-fitness/i-stayed-hydrated-two-weeks-it-changed-my-life-n731131]

• What You Should Know About Drinking Water, but Probably Don't https://www.nbcnews.com/better/diet-fitness/down-low-h20-n760721

• 10 Infused Water Recipes to Keep You Hydrated All Day Long https://www.nbcnews.com/better/diet-fitness/10-infused-water-recipes-keep-you-hydrated-all-summer-long-n758401

What Happens When Your Body Is Dehydrated

The importance of drinking water.

We all know that staying hydrated is the key to a healthy mind and body. Our bodies are on average 75% water – and the blood is a massive 92% water. When your body is dehydrated, there are many processes that become more difficult for your body to carry out. Dehydration affects all areas of the body, including the blood, brain, digestion and kidneys. Over time, dehydration can lead to more serious illnesses too. Making sure you stay hydrated throughout the day is key – remember, when you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated! Drinking OnePure mineral water can benefit you in even more ways than just plain tap water, such as neutralising stomach acid and providing natural essential minerals.

Here are four problems that can occur when the body does not get enough water:.

Fatigue

When your body is dehydrated, it cannot work as quickly as usual, resulting in that feeling of fatigue and low energy many of us often experience. The run-on effect of this is that we often turn to caffeinated drinks or sugary foods to perk us up – creating a cycle of dehydration and unhealthy eating.

Sluggish Blood

Keeping in mind that the blood is 92% water, when our bodies don’t get enough water, our blood becomes thicker and more sluggish. Our blood cells can’t do their job of transporting oxygen and other essential nutrients around the body. Plus, thicker blood means a higher blood pressure as it is more difficult to get the blood around the body.

Digestive and Renal Problems

When our body doesn’t have enough water, it conserves water from non-essential functions – like processing food in the digestive system. Dehydration is one of the causes of constipation and doesn’t promote good colon health. Plus, dehydration affects your kidneys and bladder too. Toxins do not get flushed from our system and this can lead to higher bladder and kidney infections.

Weight Gain

Often, we confuse being thirsty with being hungry, and we reach for a snack rather than for a water bottle! Staying hydrated and drinking water helps control appetite and avoid the problem of overeating. As an added bonus, drinking cold water also burns calories and speeds up metabolism.

Dehydration doesn’t just have physical effects – it can also adversely affect our thinking processes and motor function too. So make sure you always keep a bottle of OnePure mineral water handy, and keep sipping throughout the day to keep your body in its top physical condition!

Detoxify Your Body With OnePure Water

Our bodies are great at looking after themselves. They can regulate, process, and detox all the bad stuff out of our system, without us needing to do anything conscious.

However, our bodies can often become overwhelmed by our modern-day lifestyles. We eat highly processed foods, drink alcohol, don’t sleep enough, work too much, don’t exercise enough, don’t stay hydrated… the list goes on and on. Our bodies just weren’t built to handle the stress that all this puts on our system every day.

On a day to day level, we should definitely try and get enough sleep, practice stress-relief, drink lots of water, and eat well. From time to time though, a detox might help our body get back on track and eliminate a lot of built up stress and toxins.

A detox works by reducing the everyday stress on the body and in particular, the digestive system. By taking a short break from food, alcohol and caffeine, the body is able to do what it does best: regulate our system and eliminate toxins.

A 1-day detox can help purify your system and assist in weight management. If you plan to detox, it’s essential to drink lots of water throughout the day, as this will help flush toxins from your body. Drinking OnePure mineral water will heighten the benefits of your detox, as the alkaline pH of OnePure balances out stomach acid and keeps your blood healthy and oxygenated.

Drinking mineral water like OnePure regularly will help to combat the daily stresses and fatigue your body goes through, and make sure you and your body are always in top condition.