Written By: Vivian BenjaminHydration Although water does not contain any natural nutrients it is still an essential “nutrient” for all bodily functions. The human body is made up of approximately 70% of water. All the metabolic function that takes place in the body needs water. For instance, blood circulation needs the assistance of fluid to travel across the body to supply cells with oxygen and nutrients. There are plenty of health benefits in drinking water which include: (check out my hydration article)
Overhydration The human body doesn’t have sufficient storage for water thus; water losses have to be replaced daily. Not only that but since water cannot be stored in the human body drinking too much water can affect your bodily systems. “Balance” is the key to nutrition, hydration and everything in the world. Nevertheless, water is just part of the term fluid and no matter what fluid you drink be it water, tea, coffee, or fruit juices it will still impact the bodily system when you are overhydrated or dehydrated. Let’s talk about overhydration or consuming too much fluid intake. How much is too much? Overhydration is when you consume too much fluid subsequently; retaining the fluid in the kidney. When you drink too much water the electrolytes inside your body can be diluted and the most affected electrolyte is sodium. As a result, you can develop hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood). Apart from that, overhydration in the long run can damage the kidney's normal function as the kidneys have to work twice as hard to remove waste and control the water balance. Overhydration is not only drinking but consuming food that contains high water intake such as watermelon, cucumber, strawberries and tomatoes. Fluid requirements are influenced by several factors for example; age, gender, climate, pregnancy, breastfeeding and physical activities. Just as your body has hunger cues it also has thirst cues therefore; you need to be able to identify it. There are several guidelines in every country about fluid intake but my advice would be to listen to your body’s thirst cues and have a balanced hydration. Blood pressure Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of the blood vessels. It is one of the vital signs measured in the hospital together with temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and oxygen level to determine the patient’s condition. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and contains 2 readings, which are the systolic blood pressure (pressure during contraction of the ventricles) and diastolic blood pressure (pressure when the heart rests in between contraction). The normal reading for blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Low blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure drops below the normal range and high blood pressure happens when your blood pressure surges above the normal range. The main causes of high or low blood pressure are nutrition, hydration and lifestyle choices. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the risk factor for the number one cause of mortality, which is cardiovascular disease. Moreover, hypertension can cause acute or chronic kidney failure and liver failure. How Overhydration Impacts the Blood Pressure So, what is the connection between drinking too much water and blood pressure? When you consume a higher intake of water the electrolyte sodium gets diluted, which results in the condition called hyponatremia. Sodium helps regulate water balance in the body and if it’s depleted the water level can become abnormal. Elevated water intake in the body results in a larger volume of blood being pumped throughout the body. As a result, pressure increases thus; there is a surge in blood pressure. Apart from that, when your body consists of too much water it passes through the cells and causes inflammations or swellings. Consequently, prolonged inflammation can lead to damage in the kidney functions hence; escalating the blood pressure. 6 Creative Ways to Maintain Normal Hydration While we all know that dehydration is unhealthy and we must strive to drink plenty of fluid, sometimes it is also easy to get overhydrated. A balanced fluid intake is essential in everyday life. My principle in life is to practice “balance”. I’m going to share with you several easy strategies to achieve normal hydration. 1. Listen to your thirst cues Your body will send signals to the brain to indicate when it needs food or fluid to nourish the cells. It is a unique role of your body where the cells, tissues, organs and nerves work together as a whole system to give internal nourishment. Sometimes it is easy to mistake hunger cues with thirst cues hence; leading to unhealthy snacking. You must learn how to align yourself to listen to your body’s needs to replenish fluids. Drinking water moderately also can help you feel full. Similarly, once you achieve your body’s daily optimal hydration your body will send a signal to the brain that it doesn’t need more fluid. Unhealthy food, drink and lifestyle choices occur due to people not understanding their unique human body. 2. Create a routine Implementing a healthy hydration habit is essential to maintain optimal hydration so the body can work without any damage. When you live in a busy world which never turns off 24/7, it is easy to get lost in doing something "on the go". Creating a holistic routine that works for you can help you achieve your ideal hydration. For instance, I always practice drinking 500ml of water as soon as I wake up then I start my morning exercise. After my exercise, I drink another 500ml of water. Apart from that, I also make sure I drink another 500ml of water each after my lunch and dinner. Therefore, in total, I drink 2000ml of water daily. Likewise, anything I drink in between during the day will be moderate depending on my activity levels and my thirst cues. 3. Keep a water bottle that has measurements Keeping a water bottle with measurements helps remind you how much you have drunk and drinking in one day. Make sure always to replenish the water you have drunk. The water bottle below has measurements and a safety lock that prevents accidental opening. (Click the bottle to purchase it while stock lasts). 4. Utilize technologies Presently, we live in a digital world where technologies take up most of our lives. We all have smart gadgets so utilize them in a beneficial way. Use apps that can help you keep track of your water intake. Recommended apps that you can try:
5. Keep a journal If you like the “old ways” of keeping track of things you can ditch the technology and write a journal. Writing a journal is another method where you can keep track of your water intake daily. Documenting is the best method to keep a history of your progress, which will help you see your daily habit changes. In addition to that, writing things down helps you achieve your goals and you may even find inspirations to better hydrate yourself. 6. Monitor your urine
One of the best ways to identify if you are drinking enough is to observe the colour of your urine. Once again your unique body will show you signal that you have maintained ideal hydration, with the kidneys performing their role in producing a healthy urine colour. The normal urine is pale yellow to a dark amber colour. If you have colourless urine you may be overhydrating. Besides that, you can also measure your urine output. Micturition or voiding generally happens around eight times a day. A healthy individual usually voids between 1200 ml and 1800 ml every day (if the individual is fully hydrated). (Check out my article on kidney health and urine characteristics) All in All Maintaining adequate hydration is crucial for humans to achieve a healthy mind and body. Consuming water helps keep the body healthy nonetheless; sometimes you can get overhydrated. There is also a growing mindset that thinks when you drink too much water it is good for your overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, drinking too much water is not beneficial to the human body as it raises blood pressure. Nutrition Takes explores the link between overhydration and blood pressure plus gives you simple methods to maintain ideal hydration. Share in the comments section about anything you want to talk about this topic or feel free to ask me more questions about this topic. Every holistic insight or knowledge is always welcomed. Reference 1. Rondon H et al. (2023); Hyponatremia; StatPearls 2. Szymczak A, Kusztal M, Krajewska M. (2021); Overhydration: A cause or an Effect of kidney damage and how to treat it; Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicines; 30(2): 219-227. 3. Nakamura, Y. et al(2020); Effect of Increased Daily Water Intake and Hydration on Health in Japanese Adults; Nutrients; 12(4):1191. 4. Kavouras, S.A. (2019); Hydration, dehydration, underhydration, optimal hydration: are we barking up the wrong tree?; European Journal of Nutrition; 58:471–473.
2 Comments
Philo
6/1/2024 08:48:48 am
Very nice and useful to read about hydration and over hydration. I will like to keep a track of my intake of water to keep my body hydrated and healthy. Thanks Vivian for the informative article which explains about hydration and over hydration. Take care and God bless.
Reply
Vivian Benjamin
6/1/2024 01:21:31 pm
Thank you for the comments, Philo. I'm glad I can educate and help people achieve a healthy lifestyle. Balance is a must in everyday life even if it means drinking water. Take care and have a lovely day.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |