You might be dehydrated. Simple drinking water could be help.
Two new studies found even mild dehydration comes with big consequences:
- altered mood,
- impaired memory,
- trouble concentrating,
- fatigue,
- headaches,
- anxiety.
While the reasons for these symptoms are unclear, researchers at the University of Connecticut Human Performance Laboratory noted that dehydration causes changes in electrolyte balances in the blood as well as serotonin levels in the brain, which can affect memory and mood.
How to tell if you're hydrated? Check the color of your urine. “Anything darker than a pale, straw hue means you need to drink more,” says study author Lawrence Armstrong, Ph.D.
Drinking water daily has also other important and surprising health benefits.
- Your brain consists largely of water. When your body needs water, your brain is the first one to send you a signal, causing headaches. So, keep in mind, that headache can be a symptom of being dehydrated and drinking water may help.
- By drinking water and keeping your brain hydrated you allow your brain to function more effectively, increase brain energy level and improve concentration.
- Water is a natural energy drink. People who are mildly dehydrated will feel fatigued and weak. In the same way that not drinking enough water makes your brain slow down it has the same effect on your body. A five percent drop in body fluids will result in a twenty-five to thirty percent decline in energy for most people.
- Water maintains proper viscosity of blood and plasma and fibrinogen distribution. When you get dehydrated your blood gets thicker so the heart has to work even harder. And if your heart is weak it can lead to more serious heart problems later in life. Water can also lower high blood pressure.