Proper hydration is a critical aspect of a healthy lifestyle. When your fluid levels become too low, you may experience dehydration. Dehydration can impair your body's ability to function properly and cause uncomfortable side effects. While many people may believe any beverage can hydrate them, there are some drinks that actually dehydrate you the more you drink them.
5 Benefits of Hydration
Water makes up the majority of our body weight and is vital for many functions, such as flushing waste out of the body. Dehydration is when there is a harmful reduction in your body's water and fluid levels. Ensuring you are hydrated can provide numerous benefits, including:
1. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Dehydration can negatively impact many aspects of your physical health, especially the heart and cardiovascular system. If you become dehydrated, the total amount of blood circulating through your body decreases, causing your heart to beat faster. Additionally, dehydration can raise your blood pressure and increase your heart rate to a less-optimal range.
As a person experiences dehydration, their blood will begin to retain additional sodium, which thickens the blood and may make it difficult for it to circulate properly through the body. Keeping yourself hydrated can ensure your heart can easily and efficiently pump blood, allowing oxygen to travel throughout the body and reach your muscles.
2. Better Physical Performance
Research has shown that losing as little as 2% of your body's water content can significantly impair physical performance. Improper hydration can negatively impact your body's ability to perform physically, especially during intense exercise or in high heat. As muscles are 70% to 75% water, it is expected that they may not function adequately if your body does not have the proper intake of fluids.
Dehydration can impair physical performance and lead to increased fatigue and altered body temperature regulation. Exercising or performing physical tasks while dehydrated can be mentally and physically difficult. Ideal hydration can prevent these negative effects and promote physical performance.
3. Regulated Body Temperature
Hydration is a key aspect of your body's ability to maintain a normal temperature. Our bodies cool us down when we become too warm by producing sweat, which evaporates and lowers the body's temperature. As hydration levels dip, your body has less water and is unable to make sweat as effectively.
Without sweating, our bodies cannot cool down and regulate temperature efficiently, making it more difficult to tolerate warmth or excessive heat. Dehydration causes our bodies to retain more heat than we normally would, resulting in higher body temperatures and an inability to regulate temperature properly.
4. Increased Energy and Brain Function
Your brain and energy levels are directly affected by your level of hydration. Even mild cases of dehydration can decrease energy and affect various brain functions. Dehydration can lead to difficulty focusing, a lack of attention and even impaired short-term memory function and trouble recalling long-term memories. Basic mental abilities, such as simple addition or subtraction, may be negatively impacted if your fluids are low. To increase energy and promote mental clarity, staying hydrated is key.
5. Maintained Digestive System
The digestive system relies on adequate fluid levels and water to work properly. Dehydration has been shown to cause various complications with the digestive system, including constipation or an overly acidic stomach environment. These complications may increase the risk of heartburn or stomach ulcers. Water helps break down the food we eat, helping it to be absorbed by the body. Proper hydration allows the small and large intestines to absorb water and function normally.
Worst Drinks for Hydration
Many common and popular beverages act as a diuretic. A diuretic is a beverage that causes your body to flush more water out of its system than it would if you drank just water. Caffeine is one of the most common diuretics found in beverages that can cause an imbalance in hydration levels. For proper fluid levels, consider avoiding the following dehydrating drinks:
1. Sports Drinks
While many sports drinks are designed to be hydrating, they are also meant for athletes or those who are highly active and exercise regularly. If you are not highly active, you most likely do not need a sports drink to stay hydrated. Most energy drinks also feature high levels of sugar, which can cause dehydration.
Consuming high levels of sugar, whether in food or a beverage, can be unhealthy and contribute to lower hydration levels because it raises your blood sugar levels. Those with diabetes or who take certain medications may be at a higher risk of dehydration from excess sugar.
2. Coffee
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages globally, with over 1 billion individuals consuming coffee each day. While a cup of coffee or two are not likely to dehydrate you on their own, excessive coffee intake or only drinking coffee and avoiding water can lead to mild or moderate dehydration over time. Unless you are drinking decaf, coffee contains caffeine, which is known to be a dehydrating substance.
While the overall effect is minimal, coffee does cause the body to flush more fluids out than usual. If you enjoy drinking coffee regularly, it is important to ensure you drink plenty of water or other hydrating drinks throughout your day to ensure proper hydration levels.
Choosing decaf coffee may also help reduce the dehydrating effect that caffeinated coffee causes.
3. Tea
Teas with caffeine can affect your hydration levels, especially if you drink a lot of caffeinated tea and do not supplement your diet with water or other forms of hydration. Tea can cause dehydration because it contains caffeine, which is broken down by the body into various compounds that can affect the way your organs normally function.
While caffeine is known for its stimulating and energizing effects on the brain and mood, it can have a dehydrating effect on you and your kidneys. Drinking a large amount of tea can stimulate your kidneys to flush out more water than they would if you chose a noncaffeinated beverage. An increase in using the restroom can lead to your body losing more fluids than it is taking in.
4. Soft Drinks
Many soft drinks contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, which may make you more likely to experience dehydration. A better alternative to soda is fruit water or sparkling water, if you prefer a carbonated beverage. Many caffeinated beverages act as a mild diuretic, meaning they may cause an increase in urination. Excessive urination or sweating are what lead to your body becoming dehydrated as it loses essential fluids.
Caffeine may increase blood flow to the kidneys, stimulating them to release more water through urine. As your body is releasing more water than it would if you chose a noncaffeinated beverage, it can quickly become dehydrated if you are not supplementing your diet with hydrating drinks.
5. Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most common drinks that causes dehydration because it acts as a diuretic. When the liver processes alcohol, a large amount of the alcohol is converted into acetaldehyde, which can be toxic in high doses. To safely remove this substance from your body, your liver does extra work to turn it into acetate.
Additionally, alcohol can reduce the vasopressin your body can produce. Vasopressin is an important hormone that promotes the retention of water by the kidneys. Drinking alcohol can suppress this hormone and worsen the diuretic effect of alcohol on the body, leading to dehydration. Dehydration from alcohol can cause various issues and complications within your body, including problems with your skin, liver, brain and kidneys.
Best Drinks for Hydration
If you are experiencing mild or moderate dehydration, it is best to avoid drinks that dehydrate you and prioritize regularly consuming hydrating drinks. If you believe you may be experiencing a more severe case of dehydration, it is always best to contact a medical professional. For those with mild to moderate dehydration, you can choose from some of the best drinks for hydration to restore proper fluid levels:
1. Water
Water is one of the most vital aspects of proper health and hydration. On average, up to 60% of an adult human body is water, with the skin containing 64% water, muscles and kidneys 79% water and the lungs 83% water. Naturally, drinking water is one of the best ways to restore hydration in the body.
Regular water intake helps replace fluids your body loses through sweating and other normal bodily functions. Water is vital to every cell within the body and helps maintain critical organ functions. The amount of water you need daily varies depending on your height, weight and activity level. In general, experts recommend drinking two to three cups of water an hour, or more if you are sweating excessively.
2. Immunity and Recovery Drinks
Turmeric Wellness Drinks, like ZYN, come in a variety of flavors and feature essential nutrients for healing hydration. Our recovery drinks are a delicious blend of flavors combined with CURCUMIN, the active ingredient of Turmeric. In addition, ZYN immunity drinks include Piperine, which can help promote the absorption rates of CURCUMIN and Turmeric to maximize their benefits.
Fortified with vitamin C for a healthy immune system, recovery drinks are a delicious way to give your body essential nutrients and vital hydration. In addition to helping improve hydration levels, recovery drinks with Turmeric can boost the immune system, help reduce inflammation and promote recovery from fatigue and injury.
3. Wellness Drink Mix
Similar to turmeric wellenss drinks, daily wellness drink mixes like ZYN are an excellent source of hydration with numerous wellness benefits — from rapid workout recovery to gut health. Daily wellness drink mixes are a powder packet that can be mixed with water to rehydrate, repair and refuel.
ZYN wellness drink mixes also combine the benefits of CURCUMIN from Turmeric and Piperine to promote proper hydration and boost the immune system. Water infused with a wellness drink mix is fortified with some of the most important nutrients for your body, including zinc and vitamins D and C. A wellness drink mix allows you to experience numerous health benefits on the go, as you only need a bottle of water and a powder packet.
4. Medical Rehydration Drinks
Medical rehydration drinks are a medical-grade hydration formula that contains vital electrolytes, including sodium, potassium and chloride. Electrolytes are essential as they help to control your body's fluid levels. Many medical rehydration drinks are available over-the-counter and can be an effective and safe option for those experiencing mild to moderate dehydration.
Your body loses fluids and nutrients through normal functions, such as sweating or using the restroom. Medical rehydration drinks use a precise combination of sugars and electrolytes to help restore the balance of fluids in your body. While medical rehydration drinks do contain sugar, the sugar content of these drinks is significantly lower than that of soda and is designed to restore hydration levels.
5. Coconut Water
Coconut water is a popular drink that is naturally low in sugar and contains sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. These nutrients are essential to maintaining proper hydration levels. In addition to helping hydrate the body, coconut water has been shown to restore blood sugar levels adequately.
Because coconut is naturally low in sugar and calories, it can be an ideal drink for hydration. If you are looking to incorporate other drinks than water in your diet for hydration, coconut water may be right for you. Coconut water may also be a beneficial drink to add to your diet as it is high in potassium, which many people do not get enough of if they do not regularly eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
6. Fruit-Infused Water
Fruit-infused water can be a healthy way to add flavor and nutrients to water when looking to rehydrate. Some of the most hydrating fruits include watermelon, strawberries and cantaloupe. If you are looking for the hydrating benefits of water but dislike drinking plain water, many fruits offer similar benefits and can be a tasty addition to your water. Eating water-rich fruits, such as watermelon, and drinking water can be a great way to restore hydration levels.
7. Milk
Milk can be helpful for mild dehydration, as it contains an ideal electrolyte and carbohydrate content that can restore depleted hydration levels. Milk is also an ideal source of protein, which makes it a great option as an exercise recovery drink. In addition to its protein content, milk has high calcium and vitamin D levels for a healthy body.
If you are experiencing signs of dehydration, make sure you are taking in various fluids and water-rich food throughout the day. In addition to water and rehydration drinks, milk can be an excellent way to hydrate the body. Fat-free and whole milk have been shown to have significantly higher hydration indexes than water.
Hydrating Refreshment With Benefits
At ZYN, we provide refreshing drinks packed with the health benefits of up to 15 Turmeric roots in each drink. Our delicious range of drinks is an excellent way to promote hydration, as they are fortified with essential vitamins and nutrients while being naturally low in calories in sugar. ZYN drinks harness the benefits of CURCUMIN from Turmeric and pair it with Piperine to improve absorption.
Try one of our ZYN products today as a delicious and tasty way to stay hydrated throughout the day.
