"Can Dehydration Affect Our Mood?"
Water is by far the #1 nutrient in our diet.
Studies have suggested that proper hydration may lower
our risk of heart disease and cancer,
and may even make you a better kisser.
Brushing artificial skin against the lips of young women,
researchers found that hydrated lips showed
greater sensitivity to light touch.
Although it is well known that water is essential
for human survival, only recently have we begun
to understand its role in the maintenance of brain function.
Makes sense, our brain is 75% water,
and so when we get dehydrated our brain actually shrinks.
Even mild dehydration, caused by like exercising
on a hot day has been shown to change brain function.
I’ve talked about the role of hydration for cognitive function,
but current findings suggest that our mood states may also
be positively influenced by water consumption.
The effects of dehydration in real life
have not been not well documented.
It wasn’t until 2013 when the first study
to investigate the effects of mild dehydration
on a variety of feelings was published.
What did they find?
The most important effects of fluid deprivation
were increased sleepiness and fatigue,
lower levels of vigor and alertness,
and increased confusion.
But as soon as they gave them some water
the deleterious effects on alertness, happiness
and confusion were immediately reversed.
Water absorption actually happens very rapidly,
within 5 minutes from mouth to bloodstream,
peaking around minute 20.
And as an aside, the temperature of the water appears to matter.
Which do you think is absorbed more rapidly:
cold water, or warm body temperature water?
Cold water gets sucked into the body about 20% faster.
How can you tell if you’re dehydrated or not?
Why don’t you ask your body?
If you chugged down some water and then turned around
and just peed it all right out,
presumably that would be your body’s way of saying
Eh, I’m good, all topped off.
But if you drank a bunch of water
and your body kept most of it,
then presumably your tank was low.
So these researchers formalized the technique.
You empty your bladder, then chug down
11ml/kg of body weight, or 5 ml per pound,
there’s about 240 ml in a cup,
so that’s about 3 cups of water, you drink 3 cups of water,
and then an hour later see how much you pee.
The empty circles on this graph up in the corner
are the dehydrated folks.
Basically this says that if you drink three cups
and pee out less than 1
there’s a good chance you were dehydrated.