5 Popular Myths About Hydration You Should Stop Believing

Hydration is one of the most important processes in the body people must look out for if they want to achieve a healthier body. Although many would’ve commonly disregarded this particular aspect, there’s no denying that ensuring proper hydration can be daunting and challenging, especially with the presence of various misconceptions about it.

If you’re wondering about the popular misbeliefs about hydration, continue reading this article.

Debunking Hydration 

Have you been wondering about the proper methods to keep you healthy and hydrated? Or are you constantly thinking about the misconceptions about hydration that might affect your nutritional status and overall health?

If you’re having a hard time differentiating the claims about this particular bodily process, especially about variations of hydration such as sugar hydration, then the best thing you can do is to conduct research about it. After all, learning about these can significantly benefit your nutrition and avoid compromising your health.

To help you through this confusing topic, below are some popular myths about hydration that you must stop believing:

1. The More Water Your Drink, The Healthier You Are

When it comes to hydrating yourself, you must’ve heard about the conventional wisdom that requires every person to drink eight glasses of water to maintain proper hydration. One of the most common misconceptions about proper hydration is people need to drink six to eight glasses of water a day to eradicate toxins in their bodies.

Although there’s nothing wrong with drinking more water daily, there’s no direct study showing the correlation between the amount of one’s water intake and the improvement of their body condition. Besides this notion, some people also believe drinking water can treat kidney diseases because it regulated hydration.

However, these ideas are misconceptions because there are no researches proving their validity. The best way to treat illnesses and diseases is to consult doctors and registered physicians.  

2. Coconut Water Can Prevent Dehydration

Although this misconception isn’t a new trend in the field of medicine, there are still people who believe that coconut is the best drink to reduce the risks of dehydration. While it can quench one’s thirst and it’s considered a healthy drink due to having lesser calories, there’s no proof that coconut water is the best drink. 

Drinking water regularly can be of great help in preventing risks of dehydration, aside from promoting proper water balance. You don’t need to replace your drinking water with coconut drink as this can result in severe kidney problems. Too much intake of coconut drink also has some drawbacks, including affecting one’s kidney due to abnormalities in the potassium levels.

3. Only Water Can Promote Hydration

Aside from promoting your nutritional intake, another benefit you can gain from eating healthy foods includes further regulation of your hydration processes. Achieving proper hydration can significantly boost your overall health, that’s why this must be given adequate attention.  

When it comes to acquiring essential nutrients, there’s this common belief that only water can keep you hydrated. Some people even believe water is the only source of hydration.  

However, that’s been debunked by some researchers. Many experts assert the role of one’s food intake in helping them stay hydrated. Particularly, the food you eat can also regulate your hydration processes as well as offer you nutritional benefits. These researchers also suggest that while approximately 80% of one’s water balance comes from drinking water, the other 20% emanates from the food one eats.  

Some of the most common types of fruits and vegetables that contain a high percentage of potassium levels include melons, celery, and tomatoes. You may also acquire them from different types of juices, varying kinds of milk, and soups. That’s why it’s also important to have a balanced diet to keep yourself hydrated.  

4. Energy Drinks Are The Best Drinks

Have you ever heard about the notion of energy drinks as the best alternatives for drinking water for athletes? Or are you one of those people who believe drinking coffee can be as beneficial as drinking water? Whether you believe in the first or the second, you must know that water is still the safest drink for you as this can never cause you anything negative.  

Whether you’re an athlete or a regular working person, there’s no going around the fact that drinking water is still the best way to prevent dehydration. Although there are benefits one can acquire from drinking energy drinks, especially in helping them last longer after rigorous workouts, water is still the best drink to keep a person hydrated. 

You can never go wrong by choosing water over any of these alternatives as this can help regulate water balance better without any negative impacts on your body.   

5. Dehydration Isn’t A Serious Matter

Although many people may think dehydration isn’t a serious health problem because it isn’t on the list of the leading illnesses in the world, this particular condition can seriously affect your overall health. 

If you’re seeking to maintain proper hydration, one of the most important things that’ll be advised to you is to drink more as this can affect you in more ways than one. Particularly, dehydration can affect not just your physical health but also your mental well-being. Researchers suggest that dehydration can affect your reaction time, attention span, reasoning, and can result in visual impairment. 

Aside from that, dehydration is also associated with poor cognitive performance and can impede you from performing simple mental tasks such as answering mathematical problems and solving puzzles. Dehydration can also lead to chronic diseases, including gallstones, kidney failure, and death in extreme cases.

Key Takeaway

Hydrating yourself shouldn’t be as challenging as it may seem. While there are various considerations you need to ponder upon to obtain proper hydration and learn about the difference between myths and facts about it, there’s no denying that doing so can create a huge difference in your nutritional status. 

Before you follow the conventional wisdom, it’s better to research its validity first to avoid compromising your health and overall well-being. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you keep your body hydrated.