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effects of dehydration on the brain Why drinking water is important hydration and brain function how long does it take to rehydrate your brain

Why drinking water is important: Cognitive health benefits of staying hydrated.

Published Mar 14, 2023 | Updated Aug 10, 2024
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“Stay hydrated.” is a universal health message that is encouraged across all life stages. Getting adequate fluids is imperative for normal functioning of your body. 60-70% of your body is water, while your brain is 75-80% water [1 Trusted Source 2019 - Frontiers in Neurology Systematic and meta-analysis A Single-Scan, Rapid Whole-Brain Protocol for Quantitative Water Content Mapping With Neurobiological Implications . Hydration and brain function is strongly linked because keeping your brain hydrated will keep it functioning well. Even mild dehydration (losing 1-2% of body water) is known to affect the ability to focus and temporarily impact memory functions [2 Trusted Source 2021 - Journal of the American College of Nutrition Systematic and meta-analysis The Validity of Urine Color as a Hydration Biomarker within the General Adult Population and Athletes: A Systematic Review . Losing over 2%, can seriously impact cognitive functions. The good news is rehydrating is quick, simple, and effective and in most cases, water does the job. 


Effects of dehydration on the brain: Reasons to stay hydrated.


Imagine, a hot summer day with temperatures around 33°C and you are working out in the heat for 50 mins [6 Trusted Source 2018 - BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitatio Human study Effects of heat stress and dehydration on cognitive function in elite female field hockey players . Lack of adequate hydration in this scenario can easily dehydrate you, and you can lose up to 2% body weight in water.  This can lead to physical and cognitive changes in the brain, which are reversible when you re-hydrate yourself. Your hydration levels can make a big difference to your brain health: 

    How much fluid should you drink?


    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends consumption of 2 litres of water for women and 2.5 litres for men, for maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions [3 Trusted Source 2010 - EFSA Journal, Research evaluation Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water . The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends 6-8 glasses of fluid per day, including water, low-fat milk, and lower-sugar beverages including tea and coffee [4 Trusted Source 2019 - National Health Service 3rd-party source The Eatwell Guide . It is essential to top off any water losses and maintain a balance, especially in cases where you lose water due to being in hot and humid conditions or after a workout. The colour of your urine is a good indication of your hydration status [5 Trusted Source 2020 - Frontiers in Nutrition Research evaluation The Effect of Hydration on Urine Color Objectively Evaluated in CIE L*a*b* Color Space . Aim for a light straw-coloured urine. A darker colour signals dehydration since urine is concentrated due to insufficient water available in the body. 

    References

    1. Oros-Peusquens et al. (2019). A Single-Scan, Rapid Whole-Brain Protocol for Quantitative Water Content Mapping With Neurobiological Implications. Frontiers in Neurology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.01333
    2. Kostelnik, S. B. et al. (2021). The Validity of Urine Color as a Hydration Biomarker within the General Adult Population and Athletes: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition40(2), 172–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2020.1750073
    3. EFSA (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water. EFSA Journal, [online] 8(3). https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1459
    4. National Health Service (2019). The eatwell guide. [online]  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/
    5. Belasco, R. (2020). The Effect of Hydration on Urine Color Objectively Evaluated in CIE L*a*b* Color Space. Frontiers in nutrition7, 576974. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnut.2020.576974
    6. MacLeod, H. et al. (2018). Effects of heat stress and dehydration on cognitive function in elite female field hockey players. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 10(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-018-0101-9
    7. Zhang, N. et al. (2022). Dehydration and rehydration affect brain regional density and homogeneity among young male adults, determined via magnetic resonance imaging: A pilot self-control trial. Frontiers in nutrition9, 906088. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.906088
    8. Streitbürger, D.-P. et al (2012). Investigating Structural Brain Changes of Dehydration Using Voxel-Based Morphometry. PLoS ONE, 7(8), p.e44195 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044195
    9. Szinnai, G. et al. (2005). Effect of water deprivation on cognitive-motor performance in healthy men and women. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology289(1), R275–R280. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00501.2004
    10. Liska, D. et al. (2019). Narrative Review of Hydration and Selected Health Outcomes in the General Population. Nutrients, [online] 11(1), p.70. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11010070
    11. Samy, H. (2021). Effect of Hydration Status of School Children on Cognitive Performance and Impact of Health Education on Their Drinking Behavior. The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine, [online] 39(2) https://doi.org/10.21608/ejcm.2021.167557
    12. Masento, N.A. et al. (2014). Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood. British Journal of Nutrition, 111(10), pp.1841–1852. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513004455
    13. Zhang, J. et al. (2020). Different Amounts of Water Supplementation Improved Cognitive Performance and Mood among Young Adults after 12 h Water Restriction in Baoding, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). International journal of environmental research and public health17(21), 7792. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217792
    14. Pross, N. et al. (2014). Effects of changes in water intake on mood of high and low drinkers. PloS one, [online] 9(4), p.e94754. https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0094754


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