The Situation with Hydration - Part 2
Hydration: Yes, It’s STILL THAT Important
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
In part 1 of this mini-series, we looked at why hydration is so important, and the basics of how to hydrate.
Now, on to other, related questions:
How can we assess our own hydration status?
What is the impact of water quality on hydration, and how do we assess water quality?
We can monitor our own hydration status in a variety of ways. Visual assessment is the key in most cases.
For example, we can pretty accurately determine how much additional water our systems might need by visualizing how moist the tissues of the eyes, nose, and mouth are; by checking how long our capillary refill is (see how here); and by assessing urine color.
Keep in mind, though, that multivitamin and B vitamin supplements can make urine bright yellow, beets can make urine red, and drugs like Azo (phenazopyridine) can turn urine interesting colors (orange, in this case) no matter how hydrated we may be.
What about water quality? There are a number of considerations here.
Firstly, contaminants in water: if tap water is available, know your locale, and investigate as places like Flint, Michigan and East Palestine, Ohio teach us. Considerations include lead concentrations, industrial waste, conventional store-bought contaminants (e.g. detergents and chemical preservatives), and microbial contaminants via multiple sources, among others. A number of resources exist out there to support informed decision-making, including this one.
If no known, likely, or suspected contaminants are present, generally, tap water is superior to bottled water due to less direct contact with BPA and other substances in the forever chemical category (sometimes referred to as PFAS), as well as much lower expense. The bonus with tap water is less environmental waste impact.
Of course, if you are traveling or in an area where water quality is a question mark, bottled water is preferred to taking a chance with tap water-borne parasites and other possible infectious agents.
When there is any sort of question mark in your locale, filtration is often a powerful tool to reduce tap water contaminants. Most store-bought filters have some benefit, and run the gamut from pitcher-adjacent products like Brita, which remove around 12 known contaminants from water, to more heavy-duty options like those from Berkey, which remove 200+ contaminants. Cost can be a barrier with filters, though, just as it is with bottled water. A little diligence in reviewing your local water quality data can go a long way, as can some basic number crunching to determine how the costs of your available options compare.
Photo by RephiLe water on Unsplash
And there’s still more!
Does modifying water offer health benefits beyond hydration?
Can water be utilized medicinally beyond basic hydration?
What about non-water beverages? Do those help to re-hydrate?
Those answers are next in part 3 of this series!
Are you looking for guidance on your own hydration and health? Are you wondering how to adjust as your lifestyle evolves, or as the seasons turn? Do you know someone who might benefit from this approach? Book a cost-free, 15min Consultation, and we’ll discuss!
Professional disclaimer: please do not initiate any herbal or other medicinal interventions without the guidance of a knowledgeable provider. Herbal medicines such as guduchi have been shown in studies to reduce seasonal allergy symptom burden, but may also be unsafe in the context of certain health conditions such as Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune issues.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
