What Happens If You Don’t Drink Enough Water | Signs you are Not Drinking Enough Water

We all know it: drinking is important. Sufficient fluid keeps you healthy, gives you energy and can even help you lose weight.

what can happen in the body when there is a lack of fluids.

Some people are real drinking muffle. But if you forget to drink enough water, it can be dangerous – because dehydration can have serious consequences.

If the body is dehydrated, for example, toxins cannot be flushed out of the body. In addition, vital nutrients can only be transported poorly in the body.

How to determine that the body is lacking water

Dehydration can cause serious physical problems. This is because too little water intake affects the flow rate of the blood, among other things.

The body then begins to work with the water it has available. The alarm bells should ring at the latest when you only have to go to the toilet every few hours and the urine turns dark. Then the kidneys flush out less water and more toxins remain in the body.

For a short time, the body can cope in this “emergency mode.” But if it stops getting water for a very long time, you should seek advice from a health care professional.

Dehydration: These are the symptoms

Thirst
dry mucous membranes (for example in the mouth)
Headache
dizziness
Difficulty concentrating
confusion
fatigue
aching limbs
dry skin
dark urine
muscle cramps
palpitations
Freezing

Even one to two percent less water can result in headaches and impaired concentration. A study from Great Britain has even shown that even mild dehydration reduces driving ability as much as 0.8 per mille of alcohol in the blood.

What functions does water perform in the body?

Water is a component of all cells and body fluids.
As a transport and solvent, it ensures that nutrients can be distributed and processed throughout the body.
It is an important reaction partner in many biochemical processes.
It is necessary for the swelling of the chyme in the intestine, writes the DGE.
According to the CDC, water helps lubricate our bodies and cushion our joints.
It protects sensitive tissue and the spinal cord.
It ensures that waste materials and toxins are excreted through urine, stool or sweating.
Water also helps our bodies maintain a normal body temperature, for example sweating protects us from overheating.

Who is particularly often affected?

Especially in summer, older people should be reminded to drink enough water. The older you get, the less well the thirst receptors in the brain work. Often, dehydration leads to confusion, which makes drinking even more of a secondary concern.

Even mild dehydration can cause dizziness. As a result, many people fall and injure themselves. Caution should also be exercised with medications that have a dehydrating effect. This applies to many tablets against high blood pressure. In that case, more water should be drunk again.

How much fluid the body needs

If you eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, you already take in part of your water needs through your diet. If you are not sure how much water you should drink a day, you can use this rule of thumb as a guide: at least 35 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight.

Other factors should also be taken into account. If you exercise or it is very hot, the amount of water increases. You should also drink more after particularly salty meals, because salt draws water from the body. To meet your water needs, you can drink on water, unsweetened drinks and teas.

Simple tips: How to drink more water

Start and end your day with water: place a glass of water next to your bed so you drink it right after you wake up. Before bed, drink the last glass.
App as a reminder: there are many free apps that use push messages to remind you regularly to drink enough water. The app Planet Nanny² helps control drinking behavior in a fun way. Regular reminders on the smartwatch are offered by the apps Hydro Coach for Android and My Water for iOs.
Drink water 30 minutes before each meal: This tip not only brings you closer to your water goal, but also supports digestion.
Eat plenty of water-containing fruits and vegetables: In this way, you not only consume water, but also provide the body with vitamins and minerals. A watermelon, for example, is 90 percent water.
Drink from special containers: Nice drinking bottles can motivate you to drink enough water throughout the day.
Reduce stress: If you have too much on your plate, you forget to drink water. However, this will make you tired and less able to complete tasks.
Upgrade water: Instead of reaching for sweetened soft drinks, you can enhance water with fresh fruit or mint. Unsweetened teas also add variety to your drinking.

This is what happens to the body when you drink too little