The most essential component for human life is water.

Water makes up approximately 60-70% of your body weight and is vital for all the functions taking place in your body.

Water is found in every organ of your body. The highest water content is found in the lungs, muscles, and kidneys. Additionally, water is present in the heart, brain, pancreas, liver, skin, and skeleton. Finally, water is also found in adipose tissue.

Check the table below to see the water composition of each organ in the body.

According to recommendations, it is stated that men should consume 12-13 cups of fluids daily, while women should consume 8-9 cups, respectively. Apart from this general guideline, your water needs depend on factors such as age, physical activity, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.

Helpful tip

These recommendations refer to fluids like milk, juices, tea, coffee, soft drinks, and not just water. In addition to beverages, water is also present in foods. For example, fruits and vegetables have a high water content, ranging from 80-95%.

In the table below, you can see the water content of foods and beverages that contribute to your hydration.

In general, you often hear that you should drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. But did you know that excessive water intake can also cause problems with the normal functioning of your body?

By drinking much larger amounts of fluids during the day, the kidneys may not be able to expel all the excess, causing the fluids to remain in the circulatory system.

As a result, electrolytes are diluted, and specifically sodium levels decrease, leading to hyponatremia, or water intoxication. The occurrence of hyponatremia is not common and typically affects people who are very active (e.g., marathon runners, hikers, etc.).

Dehydration can occur when the fluids lost from your body are greater than those you consume.

The more dehydrated your body is, the greater the consequences for your health.

The initial symptom you may experience if you are dehydrated is thirst. Following that, loss of appetite, dry mouth, and headaches may appear. Additionally, people who are dehydrated may develop kidney conditions, such as kidney stones. If dehydration corresponds to a loss of 10% of your body’s fluids, it can pose a significant health risk, as blood pressure drops, leading to weakness, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and even loss of consciousness (fainting).

Infants and the elderly are two vulnerable groups, as they become dehydrated very easily, showing symptoms of dehydration with a smaller percentage of fluid loss from their body, making it crucial to meet their fluid needs adequately.

Drinking fluids with food is a common habit for many people. How safe is this for your health? You may have heard or read that consuming fluids with meals is not recommended because it may negatively affect the digestive process. However, it is not yet clear that drinking 1-2 glasses of water with food will have negative consequences. Most likely, it’s just another dietary myth.

Drinking fluids with meals is unlikely to negatively affect digestion, and there is no significant evidence suggesting you should avoid it. However, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, drinking fluids during your meal may intensify the symptoms of this condition.

Helpful tip

If drinking fluids with your meal causes bloating, pain, or worsens the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, avoid consuming fluids before or alongside your meal.

The recommendations for fluid intake suggest 8-10 glasses of water daily. But how representative is this for the general population? The amount of water you need to consume depends on:

• Gender
• Age
• Ambient temperature
• Physical activity
• Presence of any illness, etc.

Fluid needs should be personalized for each individual.

Do you forget to drink water during the day and only do so when you feel thirsty? Then you're probably not consuming the required amount of fluids your body needs. In conditions where the temperatures are not hot, the feeling of needing fluids is reduced, resulting in not consuming the necessary amounts.

However, your body needs fluids even if you don't feel thirsty.

Remember that thirst is the first symptom you experience when you're dehydrated.

A typical example is in the summer when you spend many hours at the beach and may not feel the need to drink water. With swimming, you feel cooled down. At the same time, you might consume an alcoholic beverage, ice cream, or a sugary soda, which will cool you down and satisfy your thirst. However, this doesn't mean you've taken in the necessary amount of fluids you need, and you’ll also consume quite a few calories.

Helpful tip

Try not to neglect drinking water at the beach during the summer, as your body needs it a lot due to the increased temperature, sun exposure, and physical activity (e.g., swimming, beach rackets, etc.)!

Fluid consumption depends significantly on the ambient temperature. In high temperatures, the loss of fluids from your body increases, requiring your body to replenish the fluids it has lost. Additionally, in situations where physical activity is intense, fluid loss is also quite evident.

Therefore, you should increase your fluid intake before starting exercise so that you can quickly replenish your losses. During mental work, adequate hydration can help you be more efficient.

An easy way to check if you're adequately hydrated is to check your urine.

If your urine is dark and minimal, it means you're not consuming enough fluids.

In a healthy adult who consumes an adequate amount of fluids during the day, their urine volume is approximately 1.5-2 liters, and the color is light yellow.

Learn more about urine color changes:

• Transparent color: You're over-hydrated. Take a break from drinking water for a while.
• Light yellow: You're hydrated. This is the optimal hydration state. Keep hydrating your body.
• Yellow color: You're still hydrated. You're doing great.
• Orange color: No need to worry, but it's time to drink water. You might be slightly dehydrated.
• Deep orange color: You're definitely dehydrated. Drink plenty of water and electrolytes immediately.

There are drinks that can hydrate you without providing unnecessary calories. Such drinks include herbal teas, black coffee without sugar, carbonated water, and light sodas. However, consuming drinks can often lead to an increase in the calories you consume during the day. Did you know that, on average, about 20% of your total calories come from liquids? Especially during the summer months, when you want something refreshing and choose juice, a smoothie, or a cocktail, you can easily go over in calories without even feeling full.

Helpful tip

If this happens often, you could alternatively drink flavored sparkling water or water with a slice of lemon. This way, you'll feel like you're drinking a soda or juice without consuming the accompanying calories.

When exercising, especially during the summer months, your fluid needs increase significantly due to the loss of fluids through sweat. As the fluid levels in your body decrease, fatigue levels increase.

It is important to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

It is recommended to consume 500ml of water before starting your workout to ensure your body is fully hydrated. During exercise, make sure to hydrate at regular intervals, and if your workout lasts longer than 1 hour, consume a sports drink with electrolytes and sugars to maintain muscle glycogen levels and reduce fatigue.

Not all fluids you choose to consume aim to hydrate you. For example, alcohol has the opposite effect, as it can lead to dehydration.

Alcohol causes a decrease in the antidiuretic hormone, which is responsible for retaining fluids in your body, resulting in large amounts of urine being expelled from your body.

Isotonic drinks, in addition to water, contain carbohydrates and electrolytes. Consuming isotonic drinks is recommended for athletes who exercise for extended periods (over 1 hour) or in extreme environmental conditions (e.g., heat, humidity, cold, or high altitudes), to provide immediate energy and replenish fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise.

Useful tip

If you don't fall into the above categories, prefer water for hydration.

Liquids can be absorbed better by the body when they are slightly cool, and in this way, you can consume a larger quantity.

Helpful tip

Keep water in your fridge and drink it "half-and-half," adding some warm water.

It has been mentioned that drinks containing caffeine (e.g., coffee, sodas) may lead to dehydration.

However, this is another dietary myth. If caffeine consumption does not exceed the recommended daily amount for the general population (up to 400mg per day, which corresponds to 2-3 instant coffees or 4-5 Greek coffees, assuming no other sources of caffeine are consumed throughout the day), it does not lead to dehydration!

Fluid retention can occur in several situations. Initially, it appears a few days before menstruation. The levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease, disrupting the body's fluid balance.

This leads to an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the body tissues. Salt, especially sodium, causes fluid reabsorption by the kidneys, resulting in fluid accumulation in cells.

Additionally, medications play a significant role in fluid retention (e.g., antipyretics, cancer drugs, antihypertensives, etc.). Sedentary work also contributes to fluid buildup, especially in the lower extremities, due to gravity. Lastly, heart and lymphatic diseases are often associated with fluid retention.

Have you ever felt that strange bloating/swelling in your abdominal area? If so, it is likely due to fluid retention. The main symptom is swelling in the abdominal area, as well as in the limbs.

Additionally, an increase in body weight is observed due to the accumulation of fluids. Less common symptoms include stiffness in the joints and indentations in the skin.

Did you know that you can manage fluid retention through diet? First, reduce your salt intake. It's recommended not to exceed 6 grams of salt per day (about 1 teaspoon). At the same time, increase potassium in your diet, which you’ll primarily find in fruits and vegetables.

Potassium has the opposite effect of sodium, so it helps promote better fluid elimination from your body. Don't forget to consume the required amount of water throughout your day.

It’s also a good idea to increase physical activity in your daily routine (for example, walk to work instead of driving if it's close).

If you’d like to make lifestyle changes to avoid fluid retention, I'd be happy to help by scheduling a session.

Diuretics help the body eliminate excess fluid by encouraging the kidneys to produce more urine. A potential side effect of taking diuretics is dehydration, which can lead to hyponatremia.

Additionally, some diuretics are potassium-sparing to prevent dehydration. However, this can lead to hyperkalemia. In general, the use of diuretics can disrupt the balance of electrolytes in the body.

Moreover, before diuretics take effect, they create osmosis in the body, increasing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream, which could potentially lead to a cardiovascular event.

Therefore, before using diuretics to reduce water retention, it is better to improve your daily habits, such as enhancing your diet and increasing your physical activity.

Helpful tip

Before taking diuretics, it is important to consult your doctor.

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Mallet et al. Nutr Diet (2021)