With summer temperatures rising, you might be trying a bit harder to keep your Stanley tumbler filled to the top and stay hydrated. Maybe you’re even looking to get on the new “sexy water” train and add fruit, ice, and a variety of supplements to make the intake of H20 more enjoyable. Whatever it takes to increase your hydration, right?
There is much more to staying hydrated than the latest water bottle and TikTok trends. Becoming dehydrated — particularly if you’re enjoying cocktails by the shore or hitting up a pool party under the glaring sun — is a health condition that isn’t addressed quickly and can wreak havoc on your body if it isn’t addressed soon. It also may be the underlying cause for the symptoms — many of them serious — you might be attributing to something else.
With the confusion about determining if you’re dehydrated, is your favorite iced mocha making it worse, and how much water is enough? — health experts explain the most frequent myths about hydration they encounter.
Here’s what you should know:
- Myth #1: Water is the only thing that will hydrate you
Wrong. Along with vegetables, fruits, and other water-based foods like celery, disregarding those that contain alcohol can help you become rehydrated. Some research shows milk can be more hydrating than water.
- Myth #2: Being dehydrated only means you’re only thirsty
When our bodies function correctly, they comprise around 55% to 60% water. When we are hydrated, cells contain enough water to function correctly, says Cohen.
When cells are not adequately hydrated, they aren’t operating as efficiently as they should. Our bodies use their resources to warn us about hydration levels. The fatigue or headache you feel when dehydrated indicates that your body is pulling resources from other crucial functions and expending energy on this warning system.
However, getting hydrated isn’t only about having enough water. It also means our bodies have reached homeostasis, meaning our vitamin, mineral, and fluid levels are in balance.
- Myth 3: You must consume eight glasses of water daily
How much water you should consume daily depends on individual needs. According to a medical adviser for Cure Hydration, Dr. Dana Cohen, an excellent goal to try to reach is to drink about half your weight in ounces of H20 daily.
However, Cohen says weight isn’t the only thing we should remember. You might need more water based on your level of activity and exercise, your age, any medications you are taking, the amount you sweat, the heat and humidity in your environment, and your diet. For instance, you might not require as much water if your diet is high in water-based foods like soups, smoothies, and fruit.
- Myth #4: Thirst is the only sign of hydration
Although one of the first signs of dehydration is increased thirst, some could be easily misread as symptoms of something else altogether. According to Cohen, these signs include fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, headache or migraine, dry skin, or weakness.
Cohen adds that a significant indication of dehydration is urine appearing dark or amber-colored. If you use the bathroom, you might also notice a smaller amount of urine than is typical.
- Myth #5: Caffeine is why coffee is dehydrating
Caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic, which means it increases urine production. Urinating more frequently can lead to water loss, which the body needs for hydration. But since you take in more liquid than you lose while drinking coffee, it doesn’t have enough of an effect to lead to dehydration and can actually be used toward your daily hydration goals.
That said, coffee shouldn’t be your only source of liquid intake. Ensure you drink other fluids like water and monitor your caffeine intake, which, if taken in excess, can cause additional health issues. The dietary guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture specify limiting your daily coffee intake to about 400 milligrams of caffeine, or around four cups of coffee.
- Myth #6: You must need to drink additional electrolytes each day
You might have seen packets of electrolyte drinks, beverages like Gatorade, or drops that promise to boost hydration. But are they more beneficial than drinking plain water?
It depends. Electrolytes are minerals found in body fluids—like chloride, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride—that are crucial for various bodily functions, like maintaining hydration. We excrete electrolytes in urine and lose them in sweat.
But on a typical day of sweating, we don’t need to worry about our electrolyte levels. According to Dr. Jo Anna Leuck, a Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University physician, most adults get enough electrolytes through their food intake.
If you are doing intense exercise—like a workout for more than 75 minutes or depending on the heat—you may need to boost your electrolytes, as regular water might not be enough to stay hydrated. It is also critical to supplement electrolytes, says Leuck, if you have had an illness like the stomach flu or been nauseous that has prevented you from gaining them through your diet.
With that said, it is critical to not overdue electrolytes. Consuming excessive electrolytes can strain your kidneys. For example, too much sodium can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness, along with loss of muscle control and seizures.
- #7: You don’t need to see a doctor about dehydration
Not always. The longer you are without water, the more you risk severe dehydration symptoms, Cohen warns, it can present with dizziness that makes it difficult to walk or stand regularly, anuria — no urine output — fast heart rate, fever, low blood pressure, confusion, and lethargy. In severe cases, it can lead to coma, seizures, or shock — symptoms that require medical attention immediately.
- Myth #8: If you are drinking water regularly, you should not be thirsty
You are constantly refilling your water bottle; however, you are still thirsty. There could be an issue behind what is driving this thirst, like being diabetic, having your period, or anemia.
If you feel hydrated properly but are more thirsty than ever, consult your medical practitioner. Certain medications (like those for motion sickness or allergies) can also give you the sensation of a dry mouth that isn’t necessarily associated with not consuming enough water.
- Myth #9: You can never drink too much water
Yes, you can be too hydrated, and it can cause significant problems. Water toxicity happens when an individual drinks water too quickly, throwing off their electrolyte balance — with some even dying from it. As Cohen warns, “Supersizing your Stanley Cup may actually flush essential electrolytes out of your system instead of properly hydrating you.”
Consuming excessive amounts of regular water can lead to sodium dilutions in the bloodstream, known as hyponatremia. Cohen said that the condition “can cause water to move into cells — including brain cells — potentially resulting in swelling, increased intracranial pressure and, in severe cases, can potentially lead to seizures.”
This is why it is a bad idea to attempt to flush your body with water or drink excessively when participating in heavy endurance exercise. It is always best to follow cues from your body, like thirst, to guide your water intake.
