Am I drinking enough water?
September 6th, 2015Recently, Aaron Carroll suggested in his New York Times article titled “No, You Do Not have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day” that many people are following outdated and unsubstantiated guidelines for hydration. While I agree that one standard does not fit all people, I think many more people would be harmed by putting less emphasis on the importance of drinking adequate amounts of water. Though it is true that food contains a lot of water (think foods like celery or watermelon which are primarily composed of water), we also consume a lot of salt on average in our diets which require us to ingest more water to eliminate them from our bodies. Excess salt stored in our bodies usually leads to higher blood pressure.
Being even slightly dehydrated has many serious health consequences, including increased risk for kidney stones, fainting/dizziness, overheating “heatstroke”, and fatigue. If you do any amount of physical activity, drink any caffeinated or alcoholic beverages, are taking medications for high blood pressure, sweat more than average, or work outdoors in warm weather, are over 60 years old, you ABSOLUTELY need to maintain adequate hydration (about 8 glasses). Can you overdue hydration? Of course, but your body has a great way of eliminating excess water through the kidneys. In fact, this often prevents the kidneys from shutting down, as excess buildup of wastes in your kidneys can cause kidney stones. If your urine appears clear/colorless then perhaps you could cut back on water intake. Conversely, if your urine is a dark amber color, you absolutely need to drink more water. As I mentioned in a previous blog, elderly people are more vulnerable to dehydration and should be encouraged to drink adequate fluids at all times.
As I always instruct my patients, you need to listen to your body and adjust your water intake accordingly. Do you feel thirsty, tired, overheated? Are your lips/mouth dry? Is your urine dark? It may be time to take a drink of water.
