Staying hydrated throughout the day is key to boosting your overall health—it can help youfeel happier and more productive,support your metabolismand helpkeep your skin healthy and elastic. That’s why you’ll want to make sure you’re drinking water each day (and maybe even snacking on fruits like cucumber and watermelon that aremore than 90% water).
Why Drinking Water All Day Long Is Not the Best Way to Stay Hydrated
Getting your fill of fluids each day can also lighten the burden on your heart. Being dehydratedlowers your blood volume, and as a result, your heart ends up working harder to pump blood through your system. This excess strain on your heart over time can cause damage. Now a new studypublished in theEuropean Heart Journalsuggests that staying hydrated won’t just help your heart on a day-to-day basis—it could have a long-lasting helpful effect.
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The researchers concluded that people with a serum sodium level above 142 milliequivalents per liter are at a 54% higher risk for developing heart disease. That tracks with what we already know about sodium and your heart. While your body does need sodium, overdoing it— especially over a long period of time—can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. And having heart disease can put you at risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
But researchers suggest that staying hydrated, which can help you keep your serum sodium at a healthy level—and therefore your blood pressure at a healthy level—could help slow the changes to the heart that eventually lead to heart failure.
Eating Less Salt Could Improve Your Quality of Life, According to New Research
“Similar to reducing salt intake, drinking enough water and staying hydrated are ways to support our hearts and may help reduce long-term risks for heart disease,” Natalia Dmitrieva, Ph.D., lead study author, said ina media release.
This study will need further research to confirm its findings, but there are plenty more reasons to aim for healthy hydration every day, frombattling brain fogtopreventing bad breath.
If you have a hard time motivating yourself to stay hydrated, we have some tips to help you get more excited about healthy hydration. Compared to still water,drinking sparkling watercan help you stay just as hydrated—so grab a bottle of club soda or a can of LaCroix and some citrus slices for a drink that feels more like a treat. You could also try to get some of your water from eating veggies that are rich in water content, likecucumbersorstrawberries. Make yourself a big salad full of iceberg lettuce, cukes, berries and all your favorite veggies for a hydrating lunch or dinner. Or serve something like ourWatermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad fora juicy side dish.
It’s also possible to stay hydrated withoutjuststicking to water all day. Drinks like orange juice, milk and tea can alsohelp you stay hydrated, so don’t feel bad for having your morning cup of caffeine before you reach for your water bottle.
The Bottom Line
Staying hydrated may lower your risk for heart failure over time, according to a study from theNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. While drinking enough water every day is a simple way to stay on top of your hydration,it’s not the only wayto make sure you’re getting enough fluids. No matter how you choose to hydrate, staying on top of it haslots of health benefitsyou don’t want to miss out on, though this study will need further research to confirm its findings.
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