The 411 on H20

By Jamie Bussin and Dr. Barb Woegerer ND

You know enough to drink more water on a hike or after a workout. But do you know what happens to your body when you don’t? More importantly, what happens when you don’t give your body enough water over time? I interviewed naturopath Dr. Barb Woegerer on Episode #339 of The Tonic Talk Show/Podcast about proper hydration and the dangers of chronic dehydration. This is a digest of that conversation.

Why is Water Important? The human body is made up of 60% water. Water is crucial for the functioning of temperature regulation and joint lubrication. It helps with good blood circulation, it allows the oxygen to be delivered to the cells, it helps with our digestive processes, cognitive function, mood, energy levels, and our skin.  Water also helps with weight loss because it helps boost our metabolic rate. One of the most important things water does (although more in winter than summer) is to maintain the integrity of our mucous membranes in our respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.This helps to provide a barrier so that we don’t get these pathogens invading those systems all the time. 

What is Chronic Dehydration? Chronic dehydration occurs over time. It happens when there isn’t enough hydration for our cells to do what they need to do. Some signs of chronic dehydration include: dark urine, dry mouth, confusion and dizziness. 

Dehydration can impact our big bodily systems over time: one being the cardiovascular system. Dr. Woegerer explains, “When we are dehydrated our body is going to struggle to maintain adequate blood volume.  This leads to low blood pressure, dizziness, increased heart rate, and perhaps palpitations. But it also causes our heart to have to work really hard in order to pump all that oxygen throughout the body.”

Mild dehydration, as little as 2% fluid loss, also impairs our cognitive function impacting our mood, our cognition, our memory, and our reaction time. 

We need water to digest our food; digestive problems such as constipation and reflux happen when we don’t have enough hydration. Motility slows down, and stomach acid production doesn’t happen resulting in those symptoms. Dehydration also slows down our circulation. It will also affect the flow of oxygen to our brain. Says Dr. Woegerer, “Even for little amounts of dehydration we see that the brain starts to contract away from the skull. This is going to lead to migraines and headaches, and especially to those people who already have a condition that causes them to have more headaches or migraines.”  

Insufficient fluid intake affects our kidney function. Proper hydration maintains our balance of electrolytes and it helps to remove waste products from the blood. The kidney filters blood to produce the urine and then that carries the waste out of the body. When we have adequate water intake, the urine remains dilute. This reduces the concentrations of minerals that can actually be formed into kidney stones. So when we are dehydrated, our urine ends up becoming more concentrated, which then of course increases the risk of that crystal formation and kidney stone development. 

Proper hydration assists in the detoxification of our bodies beyond the urinary system. It also promotes regular bowel movements and we need to have regular bowel movements if we want to eliminate waste from the digestive tract. And also, if we stay hydrated, it’s going to support the production of sweat. Our skin is our largest organ and this is going to help remove the toxins through the skin. Being hydrated is one of the most crucial parts of any detoxification plan. 

How Much Water Do We Need? According to Dr. Woegerer, how many cups of water we need on a daily basis is situational. The answer varies based on factors such as a person’s activity level, climate, and the weather. However, generally we require anywhere from six to eight cups of water daily. That water shouldn’t be consumed at one time, but rather over the course of the day. And water can be obtained by eating water-rich foods such as cucumber, watermelon or oranges. 

Perhaps it should go without saying, but alcohol, which is a diuretic, does not count towards the daily requirement. Similarly caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, although they might impact people differently, are also considered as diuretics.

Lastly, Dr. Woegerer recommends adding electrolytes to liquid intake, because they help to maintain hydration by regulating that fluid balance, and therefore prevent dehydration. “Electrolytes allow for the water to get into the cell and so with that proper water distribution we actually remain more hydrated.”