According to the USGS, an adult human is about 55 to 60 percent water. So it makes perfect sense that proper hydration plays a crucial role in just about every aspect of health. What are some of the assignments that water has within the body? It helps your circulation, flushes out toxins, regulates body temperature, and even plays a vital role in metabolism.
It is no wonder then that your body starts to provide you with signals that something is wrong as soon as you have lost just one or two percent of your overall hydration. This initial stage causes the sensation that we call thirst. However, thirst is not the only sign that you need to drink some water. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that many people crave sugar when hydration levels drop. Therefore, the next time you have a hankering for a sweet treat, try drinking a glass of water. You may discover that you were just thirsty. Now that’s a great way to cut back on sweets!
What are some of the health problems that can arise if you let your body’s hydration level get too low or stay low for too long?
Complications of a Lack of Proper Hydration
You don’t have to become dehydrated to the point of ending up in the hospital to have a lack of hydration causing damage in the body. Long before you end up with extreme fatigue, confusion, or other more severe symptoms, you may notice some of these health problems appear or worsen.
- Constipation – Remember that water helps the body move along waste. Without enough moisture, your excretory system may struggle. The longer waste stays in the body, the more time it has to cause problems, so if you are experiencing constipation, you may need to increase your water intake.
- Migraines and other headache types – Dehydration is a trigger for just about every kind of headache.
- Hypertension – More than 90% of blood is water, so it makes sense that a lack of hydration will cause issues with blood pressure because the blood becomes thicker.
- High cholesterol – LDL levels can rise when a person is dehydrated.
- Skin problems – From dry skin to eczema to premature wrinkling, the skin relies on proper hydration for good health. Moist skin is elastic and can bounce back better, so wrinkles don’t form as quickly. Dry skin may flake and damage easily.
- Obesity – When you don’t have enough water in the body, you begin to gain weight. Hydration affects metabolism, the ability to expel waste, and sugar cravings.
- Inflammation – Water flushes out waste products in the body. If that doesn’t happen, inflammation levels may increase.
- Urinary issues – The bladder and kidneys suffer when you are dehydrated. It can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Toxins can build up in the kidneys. Also, you could become prone to bladder or kidney infections. This can lead to pain, increased urgency to urinate, painful urination, and many other problems.
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How Can I Tell If I Am Dehydrated?
Besides listening to the indicators your body is giving you (like thirst or sugar cravings), there is another good hydration indicator. The color of a person’s urine is usually a telltale sign of hydration (or lack thereof). A light yellow color usually indicates that you are sufficiently hydrated. You could even go as far as to have your urine appear clear. Remember that certain supplements will change the color of your urine. For example, if you take a lot of vitamin B, there will be more yellow. However, it will often appear a bright fluorescent color, almost like a highlighter. The darker or cloudier that urine appears, the more significant the indication of dehydration (or other issues).
How often you go to the bathroom may also indicate your hydration level. Most people urinate between six and eight times a day. You may go a little more often if you are drinking a lot of water. Some medications or illness can make a person use the bathroom even more frequently. However, if you urinate fewer than six times per day, you probably are not drinking enough water.
Why Water Is a Must for Hydration
If you think you may be dehydrated, start drinking more water. Sports drinks, juice, and other beverages contain so much sugar that you may not hydrate properly. Plus, sugary drinks may be a significant factor in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Remember that you may not crave the sugar as much once you are adequately hydrated anyway, so this could be a win-win for your hydration and diet.
The recommendation is at least eight cups of water per day. If you get a 32-ounce water bottle, you get eight cups by filling and drinking it twice a day. So it’s not as difficult as it sounds.
Can a Multi-Collagen Powder Support Your Hydration Goals?
A multi-collagen powder may be able to help you reach your hydration goals. For example, a placebo-controlled study revealed significantly improved skin hydration for those using a collagen supplement. Additionally, you can stir your multi-collagen powder into a glass of water and kill two birds with one stone.
If you are looking for a collagen protein powder to help you rehydrate your body, Warrior Strong Wellness has just the thing for you. Check out our Pure Hydrolyzed Multi-Collagen Protein Powder in the shop today, and get started on hydrating your body.
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Warrior Strong Wellness
Warrior Strong Wellness provides innovative and high quality transformational supplements and raises awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer by giving a portion of our proceeds to childhood cancer research. In our weekly blogs, we share wisdom about wellness and living a Warrior Strong lifestyle.