We’ve all been instructed to “drink more water!” whenever we feel tired, dizzy, or exhausted. But what if drinking plain water won’t cure dehydration?
That’s precisely what popular nutritionist Nmami Agarwal shares in her recent health updates. She states that although water is required, it’s not always sufficient when you’re dehydrated. Surprised? Let’s be the reason why.
Understanding Dehydration: It’s More than Fluid Loss
Dehydration is usually thought of as just loss of fluid, usually with the drinking of hot liquids. But we are not losing just fluid; we are losing the special mineral, or losing electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium). The electrolytes enable our muscles to contract, our nerves to transmit, and our cells to operate normally.
If you are dehydrated, either from heat, illness, exercise, or simply not drinking enough water, you’re losing fluid and essential salts. Then if you go to drink some plain water, you can very well thin your blood and cause an electrolyte imbalance.
What Happens to the Brain When It’s Dehydrated?
This is where it gets real. Nmami tells us that if your body is losing water and electrolytes, your brain cells will diminish. When those diminished cells occur, your brain decelerates communication between nerve cells that can cause issues such as:
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Poor concentration
- Fatigue
- Mood instability
Even if you’re drinking a bottle of water, your brain may be struggling still if your brain doesn’t have the right nutrients to accompany the water.
What Drinking Water Doesn’t Do
Well when we talk about water then I want to tell you that it helps to resupply fluids, it does not help into resupply electrolytes. If you just drink water after heavy sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, you won’t get better. Worse, over-hydration with water alone can cause when your sodium levels drop too low to produce a condition known as hyponatremia.
To keep it simple: Water rehydrates the amount of your fluids but not the equilibrium of them.
What are standards of drinking?
Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) & Electrolyte Sports Drinks.
ORS: The Gold Standard
While numerous solutions abound for rehydration, ORS’s deliver the gold standard combination of:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Glucose
- Chloride
This mixture gives permission to your body to take fluid more fast and also efficiently. They are not only for children with tummy bugs; they’re for adults post-workout, with a sickness, or in scorching heat.
Natural Electrolyte Sources
If you prefer more natural remedies, you can try:
- Coconut water—it is rich in potassium and gentle on the stomach, making it an excellent natural rehydration drink.
- Lemon water with a little salt and sugar
- Bananas and watermelon—electrolyte-rich and water-rich
- Broths and soups—particularly following fever or dehydration
When To Use ORS In Place Of Plain Water
These are some indications that you require more than water:
- Dry mouth and chapped lips
- Dizzy or faint
- Muscle spasms
- Confused or fuzzy thinking
- Dark yellow urine or failure to urinate
- Fatigue and lack of focus
If you have any of these, particularly in the heat or after exercise, a pick-me-up with an electrolyte will do you a world of good.
Best Ways To Prevent Dehydration Before It Happens?
Yes, there are several hydration habits you need to cultivate daily:
1. Your body begins to dehydrate before you even notice you’re thirsty.
2. Sip fluid throughout the day, instead of taking in water all at once.
3. Eat foods with high water content—like cucumbers, oranges, strawberries, and yogurt—to help keep you hydrated.
4. Monitor your urine—once it becomes light yellowish, you’re there.
5. If you are exceptionally active or a heavy sweater, you may utilize home-brewed ORS to hydrate or coconut water.
Key Takeaways
So, the next time you are feeling tired or lightheaded, do not be so quick to reach for plain water. Take a moment to think—have you lost more than fluids?
With these words of Nmami Agarwal, hydration is not simply consuming water. Hydration is about re-balancing. And that re-balancing involves water and electrolytes your body utilizes in routine function.
So, whether it is a hot day, a crazy workout, or a upset belly, make sure your hydration plan is more than water, and you are replenishing with ORS, coconut water, or whole foods that are rich in electrolytes. Your body (and mind) will appreciate it!