Why Water Matters: Stay Hydrated for Hormonal Harmony

Staying cool is getting harder as regions throughout the country are increasingly scorched by extreme heatwavesthat push temperatures into blistering record-breaking triple digits.

Prolonged heat stresses your body, forcing systems to work overtime to maintain the balanced internal core temperature needed to stay in healthy balance.

You are mostly made of water – about 60% to be exact. Not only is this life-saving liquid central to healthy urinary function, digestion, cardiovascular, skin, vaginal health, but to hormonal balance.  

Fluid balance – or osmoregulation – involves a collaboration between your brain, kidneys and endocrine system to keep levels of water and electrolytes balanced.  

Dehydration simply means that water blood is too concentrated with proteins and minerals and too low in water content.

And when your brain detects dehydration, it sends a thirst signal for you to increase water consumption. In the meantime, your kidneys adjust to hydration levels by producing less (but more concentrated) urine to conserve much-needed water.

So, it makes sense that your body’s command center and filtration system are affected by dehydration, but what does water have to do with your internal chemistry?

A lot, according to science.

Thirsty hormones

Water keeps hormonal balance afloat.

The endocrine system consists of a network of glands located throughout the body that produce an assortment of chemical messengers. Among these hormones are estrogen and progesterone (ovarian), aldosterone and cortisol (adrenal), antidiuretic hormone (hypothalamus) and insulin (pancreatic).

When you don’t drink enough water, the dehydration that follows disrupts hormonal balance in various ways:

• Cortisol, a stress hormone, spikes as a result of the brain’s perceived threat to life and health.
• Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is released to instruct kidneys to conserve water, leading to a reduction in urine, sweat and saliva production.
• Insulin, the hormone that aids sugar uptake, spikeswhen blood sugar levels in the bloodstream are too concentrated
• Estrogen and progesterone help regulate hydration levels, so increasing water intake is important when these sex hormones fluctuate.
• To maintain a harmonious balance of hormones throughout your body, drinking water daily and consistently is vital – and so easy to do.

Electrolytes or plain water

With all the options available for staying hydrated, you’re probably wondering, what exactly does your body needmost – electrolytes or water?

Whether you prefer filtered or tap, water is the everyday elixir you need every day to support hormone balance, rid your body of toxins, and promote overall good health.

If you consume a high-protein diet, it’s wise for you to increase your water intake to flush out waste products, such as urea, that are generated as a by-product of breaking down protein. If you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys must work harder to flush out waste products through urine.    

This does not mean that electrolytes are not important. In fact, they’re essential.

Electrolytes are minerals that regulate fluid balance and carry out a multitude of functions, including supporting muscle and nerve function. When they dissolve in water, their electrical charge sparks reactions throughout the body. Electrolytes include:

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Phosphate
• Bicarbonate

You consume electrolytes naturally through food, such as bananas, avocados, veggies, nuts, dairy and whole grains; and coconut water and mineral water are naturally high in electrolytes.

Because electrolytes are readily available, electrolytedrinks are generally not necessary unless you’re losing fluids through excess sweating or illness.

Hydration heroes

While your hormonal health depends on water, your taste buds may sometimes crave something more refreshingand satisfying.

There are many healthy ways to stay hydrated and support osmoregulation that are thirst-quenching and revitalizing:

• Iced herbal tea, unsweetened
• Flavored ice cubes, unsweetened
• Water-rich fruit (watermelon, cucumbers, cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges, pineapple)
• Flavored seltzer water, unsweetened
• Mineral water, unsweetened
• Water with sliced or muddled fruit and fresh mint
• Iced coffee, unsweetened

For a deliciously hydrating drink that really brings the summer vibe, try our Refreshing Strawberry Lemonade recipe.  

Get creative with your refreshments to prevent hydrationboredom this summer.

Sugary beverages and energy drinks don’t count

While a small amount of caffeine from coffee or tea (400 mg daily for adults*) is not dehydrating, an overload of caffeine, especially from sugary energy drinks and sodas, can increase your risk of dehydration.  

Sugar, on the other hand, is a hard no. Both sugar and caffeine are diuretics, meaning they increase urine production. But unlike coffee or tea which contains lots of water to offset the loss of fluid, caffeinated drinks are disproportionately loaded with sugar and caffeine.

Excessive amounts of sugar can lead to dehydration by competing with water molecules for absorption into the intestine, as well as by increasing vasopressin levels, a hormone that increases urine production.