Water has a greater impact on your quality of life than you think. We've all heard that getting our daily water is important for general health, but it's less common knowledge that hydration has a significant impact on how well we age.
Signs of Dehydration Are More Common Than We Think
According to HeartMD Institute, brain fog, fatigue, poor short-term memory, and headaches are common hallmarks of low-level dehydration. The need for water may not occur to us as the cause of these cognitive effects. We tend to consider other sources of trouble first, such as a lack of sleep or whether we’ve eaten recently. It could be a good practice to have two glasses of water and wait an hour before deciding that other causes are to blame.
Hydration Staves Off Aging
According to ASEA, stress, diet, and air quality can impact the ability of your genes to repair cellular damage, all of which are problems that are increasingly prevalent in these times. Proper hydration helps combat cognitive decline and the onset of metabolic diseases that accelerate aging, including heart disease. When the body is dehydrated, the blood is thicker and makes your heart work harder. Additionally, thicker blood increases the risk of inflammation, plaque, and clots, which opens the door for other cardiac and vascular trouble.
The Barrier of Our Skin Needs Protection
Your skin is an actual organ of the body that acts as a barrier. Toxins come out with our sweat, but our skin also prevents bad things from coming in. If the skin is unable to hold its moisture, we not only age prematurely, but our barrier becomes more permeable than nature intended. Lotions that contain propylene glycol and sodium PCA help the skin bind to water, while urea helps to reduce water loss. Exfoliation plays an important role in keeping the skin hydrated, as dead skin can clog pores and prevent protectants from doing their work.
One of the first things to be affected by dehydration is our cognitive function. Proper hydration helps you to maintain focus and alertness. Your need for water will only increase as you get older, and you want to preserve your cognitive abilities for as long as you can. Increasing your hydration, both inside and out, can be one of the greatest things you can do to help prevent cellular damage and the onset of disease.