Are you looking for a simple, easy way to keep your body healthy and slow aging? If so, it turns out that one of the most powerful steps you can take is something we've heard about since childhood: drinking plenty of water.
A researcher from the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute unravels the secret of hydration. Read on why staying hydrated should be a top priority if you're serious about shifting toward better long-term health outcomes!
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Water Restriction & Its Effects
Skin surgeries have become an accepted route to a youthful and handsome lifestyle, with many people curious how those in their mid-life crisis seemingly have a flawless complexion. While these surgeries may provide an artificial quick fix, the old hydration philosophy provides lasting effects and promotes how to prevent chronic diseases.
According to new research from the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, drinking less water can cause problems like:
- Higher risks of dying early or having a short life span
- Aging biologically earlier than your chronological age
- Higher risks of chronic diseases, i.e., heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, etc.
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Results of Drinking Less Water
The study shows that individuals at prolonged water restriction have serum sodium levels at a higher risk- at about 135 to 146 milliequivalents per liter. Studying our sodium levels is an integral part of how to prevent chronic disease.
Researchers show that high serum sodium levels can cause a terrible rise in our aging process and prove at higher risk for developing chronic diseases like heart failure, dementia, stroke, chronic lung disease, diabetes, peripheral artery, and atrial fibrillation. Ouch!
The serum sodium levels can have horrific impacts on our health conditions and aging process and cause individuals to die early.
Study shows that moderate serum sodium levels can help prevent chronic disease, early death, and faster-aging risk. Those with regular low levels of sodium are also at greater risk than those with high serum sodium levels, including increased mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and also causes electrolyte issues.
Hydration is essential to preventing chronic disease, so it’s no surprise that researchers are looking into how fluid intake can impact aging.
Sure enough, the authors used conditions that were merely a snapshot in time; without any clear indication of how hydration impacts physical and mental health, cause and effect cannot be adequately established.
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The Role of Hydration in Preventing Chronic Diseases & Early Deaths
The study conducted has uncovered the fountain of youth. According to the study, decreased body water content increases serum sodium and accelerates aging. The results suggest how we can prevent or delay chronic diseases and age graciously - by staying hydrated.
A lead researcher at NIH revealed how her earlier research into how lifelong hypohydration has "accelerated degenerative changes and shortened lifespan" in mice was the motivation behind this study.
The study stated how water-restricted mice live an astonishing 6 months less than those who are sufficiently hydrated, which could result in the human equivalent of 15 years being cut off a lifespan.
While it may be easy to dismiss adequate hydration as just another way to prevent chronic disease, the implications of this study suggest how important drinking enough water can indeed be. It suggested that people with high serum sodium levels can benefit from re-evaluating how much they drink daily.
Keeping your body nicely quenched helps maintain serum sodium levels and gives you a refreshing boost every time. So if extended life expectancy is what you seek, fill up on liquid courage and start sipping.
Drink Fluids Every Day
The study found that an alarming amount of people around the world are dangerously dehydrated—not meeting the recommended daily water consumption. But how can dehydration impact our life in a way we may not have considered?
According to the research, dehydration puts us at risk for chronic diseases and accelerated aging. Even more astonishing is that even if our serum sodium levels appear to be expected, we're still getting put at risk.
50% of our body is made up of water. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it also fulfills functions like digesting food, creating hormones and neurotransmitters, and delivering oxygen to your body. These functions make it essential for us to maintain an optimal intake to prevent major illnesses and keep ourselves healthy.
The National Academy of Medicine says women should consume 9 cups daily of fluids each day, with men requiring 12 and a half cups. This includes all fluids plus water-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and soups, and to top it, take Vitamin C+ supplements for better gains. But how you do it is up to you, so fill those bottles, cans, and mugs with what you need to stay healthy.
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Maintaining Hydration Levels
It's essential for those with any type of chronic health condition to talk to their doctor and work out how much fluid intake is proper for them.
Such conversations will help the doctor assess medications that could be causing fluid loss and other factors before deciding on an appropriate plan - along with respecting any current treatment regimes, like limiting fluid intake for heart failure or taking Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements for better heart functioning. Taking into account these specifics can ensure crucial hydration levels are maintained while managing long-term health conditions.
Staying hydrated isn't always easy, but it's one of the easiest steps to start preventing chronic disease. Lucky for us, it's incredibly simple to add to our routine. Start with EAA Hydration supplements, and try keeping a glass of water at your bedside.
That way, as soon as you wake up, you'll get one step closer to your goal. Another great way to make drinking water a habit is by pairing it with daily activities like drinking water while waiting for your morning cup of coffee and keeping a Workout Shake Bottle with you. Hence, you keep hydrating with natural smoothies, juices, and water. By tying your hydration habit to other routines that are already part of your day, that refreshing glass will be programmed in before you know it.
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Conclusion
Our childhood stories about being hydrated are true enough for our good health conditions, flawless and slow aging, and long and disease-free lives. The study proves that water restriction can become a nightmare by decreased serum sodium levels due to less water consumption, leading to early death and plenty of chronic diseases.
To avoid all dangerous factors and intake the heartiest benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the life-long chant of drinking water will stay alive as long as H2O does. Drink water and live a long, young, healthy life while staying hydrated.
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Article Sources
- Dmitrieva, Natalia I., et al. ‘Middle-Age High Normal Serum Sodium as a Risk Factor for Accelerated Biological Aging, Chronic Diseases, and Premature Mortality’. EBioMedicine, vol. 87, Jan. 2023. www.thelancet.com, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104404.
