Our bodies are made up of around 60% water and our brain is around 75% water. This high water balance means water is a pretty key component to our wellbeing and feeling good.
When we get dehydrated, brain tissue fluid decreases, reducing overall brain volume. This affects overall brain function, the severity depending upon the levels of dehydration.
We continually lose water by breathing, sweating and excretion, and this is continually replaced by the act of eating and drinking. On average our bodies lose between 2-3 litres of water per day, depending on the temperature and activity levels.
If we continually lose water from our bodies without replacing it, blood becomes more concentrated. This is detected and kidneys try to retain water. As blood contains less water, the cardiovascular system is forced to work harder to circulate blood round the body, subsequently increasing heart rate.
If a dehydrated body is forced to keep working, for example in extreme exercise, the likelihood of the body collapsing becomes high. Even mild dehydration can have noticeable effects, such as irritability, loss of concentration and loss of performance in sports.
Lifestyle factors such as air travel or alcohol can contribute to dehydrating our bodies also.
So what can we do to prevent dehydration?
Obviously drinking enough throughout the day is key. Thirst is a sign of dehydration already happening, so keep sipping water throughout the day even when you don’t feel particularly thirsty.
