Raise a glass to that! Well-hydrated adults who drink water every day may slow the aging process and develop fewer chronic health problems, a new study finds
- Researchers have found that drinking enough water every day can slow down the aging process
- Adults who are well hydrated also appear to be less likely to develop chronic diseases
- Sodium levels, which can cause long-term problems, can rise with dehydration
- Dehydration causes long-term problems like constipation and kidney stones
Adults who stay well hydrated appear to live longer and develop fewer chronic health problems, a study finds.
Researchers found that drinking enough water every day “may slow down aging.” The study of more than 11,000 over-30s tracked the levels of sodium in their blood, which rise with dehydration.
They found that adults with higher sodium levels were 64 percent more likely to develop chronic diseases, such as heart failure and stroke, lung disease, diabetes and dementia, and to die at a younger age. The US team suggested that restricting water leads to DNA damage and inflammation, and accelerates the aging process.
Dehydration causes short-term problems like dizziness, fatigue, and headaches
Dehydration causes short-term problems like dizziness, fatigue, and headaches. In the long term, it can also increase your risk of other problems, including constipation, kidney stones, and bad skin.
The study didn’t specify exactly how much water is needed, but the NHS Eatwell Guide recommends adults drink between six and eight cups a day – around two litres.
The lead author Dr. Natalia Dmitrieva of the National Institutes of Health in the US said: “The results suggest that adequate hydration can slow aging and prolong disease-free life.” The findings, published in the journal eBioMedicine, support findings from previous studies suggesting that dehydration may cause a variety of factors known to exacerbate age-related diseases.
Although a recent University of Aberdeen study found that drinking eight glasses of water a day can be too much for some people, this was only the case if they got enough fluids from water-rich foods like soups.