Dehydration is a common problem due to the fact that most individuals do not drink sufficient water throughout the day. This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of individuals think that because it is not warm outside or because they are not particularly energetic, they do not have to drink that much water.

Most individuals assume that the level of fluid in their body is within the normal range because they drink other liquids and just sit behind a desk every day. Recent research, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is challenging this.

The research found that even a minor degree of dehydration could compromise the functioning of our brains. Previously, research indicated that a water loss of around 2% of body weight would adversely affect then memory, attention and mood.

Water is an essential nutrient, necessary for all aspects of bodily functioning including the distribution of oxygen and other nutrients, the regulation of core body temperature, and the removal of waste products.

Fluid loss is a feature of daily life and does not only occur when exercising, and the latest research has found that lack of water in the body begins to have an adverse influence well before the 2% loss that is generally associated with extended athletic activity.

The study involved 101 healthy adult participants in a controlled environment at 30℃ for four hours, and each participant’s body weight was measured 50 times at five second intervals using a very sensitive electronic scale.

After four hours there was an average loss of 0.72% of body weight; urine concentration predicted cognitive functioning: those who were more dehydrated had poorer memory and attention, and those who reported feeling thirstier felt less energetic and more anxious. Each participant’s memory was tested at the end of the four-hour period and the test subjects who had consumed water fared much easier.

Ergo, brain function of healthy adults is affected at a much lower level of dehydration than previously thought. Children and older adults are at a higher risk of becoming dehydrated so should be monitored more closely.

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