What can you do to improve your overall brain health? The simple solution is to drink plenty of water. The human body comprises 45 to 75 percent water, and that water is particularly vital for the brain, as it accounts for 73 to 75 percent of brain mass. Unlike other parts of the body, the brain is unable to store water. Therefore, it is highly important to ensure you are drinking adequate water throughout the day to keep your brain hydrated.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that an adequate daily water consumption for males is 3.7 L and for females is 2.7 L. Keep in mind that a number of factors, such as temperature, humidity, medications, physical activities, and other health conditions, may influence your daily water needs. The more fluid you lose, the more you need to take it.
The function of your brain is strongly influenced by your level of hydration. There can be serious consequences when you neglect to give your brain the water it needs. There are a variety of studies that report the link between dehydration and mood disturbance. Several studies have reported that mild dehydration (loss of 1–3% of body weight) following exercises or high heat can negatively impact the mood and concentration.
Mild fluid loss can be one of the major reasons to impair brain performance, such as losing working memory, feeling less alert, feeling irritable or tense, and increasing the feelings of anxiety and fatigue.
However, prolonged dehydration can have more severe effects, such as hallucinations and unconsciousness. Consumption of adequate water is needed to manufacture happy hormones (dopamine and serotonin that regulate our positive mood). Researchers have found that consumption of sufficient volume of water can elevate your positive mood, even improve the short-term memory.
Dehydration also can enhance the frequency of headaches. In some individuals, dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines. It has been reported that headache is one of the most common symptoms of dehydration, and drinking plenty of water can relieve or significantly reduce headaches of those individuals who experience frequent headaches.
On the other hand, some people have experienced dehydration migraine headaches, which means the severity of migraine symptoms is triggered by dehydration. It has been found that the severity of migraine pain is significantly lower in those people who drink an adequate volume of water each day.
Overall, drinking plenty of fresh water is, of course, one of the simplest ways to stay hydrated. Drinking adequate water can improve one’s brain health by simply increasing blood flow, minerals, and oxygen to the brain, which, in turn, enhances cognition and helps balance moods and emotions, reducing stress and headaches.
To ensure you remain hydrated throughout the day, keep a reusable water bottle with you. If you dislike drinking water, you can use combinations of fruits and herb infusions (e.g., lime and mint leaves) to add flavours. This can provide extra benefits such as antioxidants, which help to prevent oxidative stress in the brain.
You can use apps that remind you to drink water regularly throughout the day if you are the type of person who forgets to drink fluids.
Additionally, eating fruits with a high-water content, such as tomatoes, watermelon, or cucumber (which contains over 90% water), can also help you to stay more hydrated. So, drink plenty of fresh and purified water and stay healthy.
The writer is the assistant research fellow at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand.