Did you know that your body can last several weeks without eating but only a few days without water? That is because it is one of the six nutrients essential for life with fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals; in other words, good hydration is a part of being healthy. But what is hydration? It means replacing the water that your body lost through sweating, breathing, or eliminating wastes. However, it is not only essential to be healthy in its general meaning, but for various other reasons. Its mental, physical, and social benefits make hydration even more important for college students as they embark on their learning journey.  In this post I’m going to talk about the importance of hydration as well as all kinds of benefits of good hydration and a few tips on how to drink more for college students.

Understanding the importance of hydration

According to Texas Health and Human Services, hydration is the replacement of body fluids lost through sweating, exhaling, and eliminating waste. US Geological Survey says that water represents approximately 60% of your body weight as an adult. That makes it a vital and extremely important part of your health. So, remember: you need to drink water daily to keep your body going. You can get that water from that direct source, or you can get it from food such as vegetables or fruits. According to the National Institutes of Health, here in the USA, it is estimated that 22% of our water intake comes from food. But we can’t rely only on food to stay healthily hydrated because all that water loss (2 to 3 quarts daily) needs to be replaced. Based on research from the National Council on Aging, 75% of the Americans are chronically dehydrated, which is why we should really pay attention to the signs of dehydration and how to hydrate better.

“I know that it’s healthy, but I don’t know the exact benefits,” says Lou Seurre, an international student at North Central College that I interviewed for this article. A lot of people underestimate or do not think about the importance of water in their daily lives. Through this article, I aim to show the benefits, risks of not hydrating well enough, and how to drink more water.

Hydration and its effects on the physical health

Water is like a magical tool that can help your body and your physical health in many ways, including during physical activity, when you are on a weight loss journey or simply in general.

Physical activity

Our body’s temperature is regulated by water, which is why you should be drinking more when you have a fever, for example, or during a physical activity. Water also gets rid of waste through urination or sweat for example.

Sports and fitness are major aspects of college students’ lives. Ensuring proper hydration is key especially before engaging in physical activities. Dr. Kim Milano, Director of the Nutrition Science Program at North Central College, says that neglecting hydration, especially in hot water, can lead to dizziness and other effects on the body. “The more humid the environment is, the harder it is for the body to cool down,” also says Dr. Kevin Pietro, a Visiting Associate Professor of Nutrition Science at North Central College. This is because in order for the body to actually cool down, the sweat needs to evaporate. If the environment is too humid, the sweat won’t evaporate, the body’s temperature won’t change, and you will keep sweating. Hydration can also impact your reaction time or even your mental performance. Dr. Kim Milano recommends drinking water every 30 minutes during a workout session, and enough water within the next two hours to replace all the fluid lost during the workout. On top of that, one may think that they are really hungry after exercising but it is not necessarily true. “Sometimes it’s not the food, it’s the fluid that they’re not consuming enough,” says Dr. Milano.

Weight loss

Another aspect of physical health that people are concerned about is their weight. People often think that their diet is the problem, but it can also be from inadequate hydration. The body can give confusing signs, and sometimes people overeat because they think they’re hungry when they’re actually thirsty, like Dr. Milano said during the interview. That’s why you need to stay well hydrated if you are on a weight loss journey or if you want to be healthier. If you’re wondering how hydration helps with the body weight, it is because it doesn’t have any calories. According to Better Health Channel, in the US, food is higher in sodium, so you consume a lot more salt, which makes you need to drink more because of dehydration. The National Library of Medicine since it provides a sense of fullness, water can help you feel satisfied in between meals instead of going for a snack. However, this is a reminder that this is not something you should have an obsession about; snacks are always a good way to be happy. The trick here is to find a balance to have a healthy but not strict habit.

How hydration helps keep the body going

Water is a great tool to keep several things about your body healthy. According to the Texas Health and Human Services, constipation problems, for example, can be due to not being well-hydrated, since water helps digest food properly by balancing fiber intake.

According to National Council on Aging for people who might feel like they have knee problems, or anything related to bones problems, there are chances that it is due to bad hydration because water represents 80% of the cartilage in our joints. Therefore, it helps reducing the friction between the bones.

Other benefits that you can get from hydration are that it converts food into energy, protects vital organs and it carries all the nutrients that you’re getting from food to your cells. It naturally moisturizes your skin and helps it keep its texture and appearance.

However, you shouldn’t be drinking too much of it at the same time because it can damage your body and end up being lethal. This is called water intoxication.  However, it is very rare considering that you should drink several liters in a few minutes for it to happen. Here is an example from the National Center for Biotechnology Information: “The patient reported here was a 64 year old woman […] On the evening before her death, she began compulsively drinking water in vast quantities, estimated at between 30 and 40 glasses, and this was interspersed with episodes of vomiting. She became hysterical and also distressed, shouting that she had not drunk enough water. She declined medical attention but continued to drink water after she had gone to bed.”