Foods that contain water are an alternative to hydrate properly

With summers breaking temperature records, staying hydrated is more important than ever. If you’re not drinking enough fluid to produce adequate sweat on a hot day, you may be more prone to heat stroke. Dehydration can be caused by extreme heat, but it can also exacerbate other high temperature-related problems, such as cramps.

Therefore, ingesting liquid is essential, but hydration can go far beyond the simple consumption of water. The popular belief that we need to drink eight glasses a day to stay hydrated persists, even if it has been debunked many times.

“Actually, there’s no data behind this eight-glass-a-day thing. For example, dark urine doesn’t mean you’re dehydrated. Being hydrated just means consuming enough fluid that you don’t feel thirsty, and that amount varies for everyone. “, said Dan Negoianu, a nephrologist at the University of Pennsylvania, in the United States.

According to experts, there are several liquids, in addition to water, that guarantee hydration, including food and drinks, which will always attract your interest. Here are some suggestions.

Fruits, vegetables and beverages

“We think you need to drink a lot of water all the time because we hear it all the time. You need to drink all eight glasses – hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. But any food or drink that has liquid content will hydrate you The body doesn’t care where hydration comes from. It just needs fluid,” said Tamara Hew-Butler, a sports medicine scientist specializing in water balance at Wayne State University.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal sources because, in addition to plenty of fluid, they also contain fiber, which provides other health and diet benefits. Watermelon and cantaloupe cantaloupe are particularly succulent. Strawberries, oranges, grapes, cucumbers and celery also have plenty of water.

Drinks of all types can hydrate. Juice, milk, tea and coffee contain fluids that your body can use. Those that are high in sugar may not be the best nutritional choice, but research indicates that they are just as effective as water at providing your body with fluids.

In the heat of summer, frozen desserts such as ice cream and popsicles are great means of consuming liquids. “You can reach and exceed your ideal daily fluid intake by consuming succulent foods and beverages without having to drink a single glass of water,” Hew-Butler explained via email.

Caffeinated drinks can also hydrate. While caffeine is often thought of as a diuretic, or a dehydrating substance, research indicates that drinking coffee or other such options can have the same hydrating effects as water — especially if you consume caffeine frequently.

“If you ingest a considerable amount of caffeine after a long time without it, you may feel a little dehydrated. Other than that, it won’t do anything – at least not in the dosage that people normally consume,” commented Kelly Hyndman, researcher at University of Alabama at Birmingham that studies kidney function and fluid retention.

Don’t be afraid of salty foods

According to Hyndman, you’ve probably heard that salty foods are dehydrating, but that’s not exactly true. The body seeks to maintain a constant balance between salt and water, which it achieves with the help of various hormones. The most important is the antidiuretic (HAD).

When we eat a lot of salty food at once, the brain releases this substance, which in turn alerts the kidneys to retain water, preventing the body from urinating excess fluid. Simultaneously, the brain releases another hormone, vasopressin, linked to the sensation of thirst. Together, they warn you that you need to hydrate. “Consuming a lot of salty food is only a problem if you ignore thirst,” Hew-Butler said.

If you want to know which salty foods are hydrating, olives and pickles are good choices, although it is not normal to consume them in large quantities. Soup, especially with water-based broth, can help keep the amount needed.

What really dehydrates you is alcohol. “Alcohol suppresses the ADH. When you consume it, the hormone doesn’t order the kidney to reabsorb the water, so all the liquid goes straight through the body,” Hyndman warned.

Make sure that children, the elderly and the sick get what they need

“Most people who say they are dehydrated probably aren’t. Even if some are dehydrated, most are adequately hydrated or even over-hydrated. If you’ve ever complained about having a small bladder or are urinating more than you’d like, you may not need to take so much liquid, because it’s just going to pass you by. The ones who need the most attention with hydration are children, the elderly and people with health problems,” continued Hyndman.

“Others just need to drink something or eat food with plenty of fluids when they’re thirsty, and trust their instincts. We shouldn’t get too hot about it,” said Hew-Butler.

“With the exception of some health conditions or super inhospitable environments, it’s hard to go against the ‘drink when you’re thirsty’ rule. When it comes to how much water you need, it’s like ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears. ‘. In the same way that she decided on the best porridge by herself, each person has to find the right hydration level for their situation”, concluded Negoianu.