Research Links Poor Hydration To Increased Mortality Risk & Chronic Disease
How many times have you pledged to start drinking more water? For many, it seems like no matter how many new and improved reusable water bottles you purchase, the habit just never sticks.
To make that habit more of a priority, you might want to zero in on your intention—have you ever asked yourself why you want to drink more water? There are plenty of reasons to start, whether it's dewy skin, increased energy, or reduced brain fog. However, research presents a much more convincing argument.
The link between dehydration & mortality
Not entirely surprisingly, research published in the journal eBioMedicine1 reveals drinking enough water is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing chronic diseases and a lower risk of premature death. What's more, a lack of proper hydration is now linked to an older biological age, the study notes.
And this wasn't just a small study: Over 25 years, around 15,000 people ages 45 to 65 participated in regular clinical exams to measure their serum sodium levels (which can reflect internal hydration). When serum sodium levels are higher, that demonstrates less water intake.
According to the study, "People whose middle-age serum sodium exceeds 142 mmol/l have increased risk to be biologically older, develop chronic diseases, and die at younger age." In fact, those participants with a higher biological age had a 64% higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia.
While the study did not include exactly how much water the participants drank, the thesis is clear: The more hydrated you are, the more likely you are to live a longer, healthier life overall.
How to actually get enough hydration
All of this to say: If you've needed another reason to drink more water, living longer provides pretty good grounds.
In terms of how much water you need, well, it's impossible to give everyone the exact same rule of thumb. But in general, experts recommend drinking half of your weight in ounces. (So, for example, someone who weighs 150 pounds would want to drink around 75 ounces of water, which is about 9 cups.)
But even if you're already filling your cup every day, there's more you can do to increase internal hydration: You could also try an electrolyte supplement to keep your hydration needs in check.
The takeaway
It's no secret that drinking water is a very good thing, but now research backs up the dramatic influence adequate hydration has on the whole body. According to the study discussed above, optimal hydration can decrease your risk for chronic diseases and shrink the gap between your biological and chronological age. Need even more motivation? Here are 10 more reasons hydration is always a worthwhile investment.
