Can drinking water improve your
mental health? Research shows that there may be links between dehydration and
anxiety. Some studies suggested drinking more water could improve mood and
lower tension. All of this means that staying hydrated could help maintain good
mental health.
In one study, no matter how much water people
normally drank, they felt more happy when they increased their water intake.
Researchers discovered that people who usually stay healthily hydrated by
drinking the recommended amount of water each day, experienced more tension and
felt less calm and content when they drank less water than normal.
Dehydration
and anxiety
In a larger, more recent study, it was found
that people who didn’t drink the recommended daily amount of water experienced
more anxiety. People who drank more water felt less anxiety and were at a lower
risk of experiencing depression.
Further studies also found a link between
dehydration and tension. People who didn’t drink enough water experienced more
tension, more confusion and were more prone to depression. More studies have
shown a link between dehydration and depression, confusion and fatigue.
Hydration
and sleep
One study has shown that dehydration may be
linked to a lack of sleep. Poor sleep can make you feel more anxious during the
day and generally affect your mood. Although more research is needed, it has
been suggested that staying healthily hydrated could improve the quality of
your sleep and help prevent you from experiencing anxiety during the day.
Hopefully, scientific research into the links
between dehydration and mental health will continue so we can gain a better
understanding of how drinking more water could improve our mood. In the
meantime, there are lots of symptoms to look out for that help to tell us that
we need to drink more water.
Top ten
signs of dehydration
Feeling thirsty
Dry mouth
Dry skin
Dark urine
Constipation
Tiredness and fatigue
Headache or light headedness
Lack of focus and concentration
Poor hand-eye coordination
Irritability and aggression
How
much water should we drink?
The UK government’s ‘Eatwell Guide’ says we should all drink six to
eight cups or glasses of water a day to replace normal water loss. That’s
around 1.2 to 1.5 litres a day.
Water, low-fat milk and low-sugar or sugar-free drinks, including tea
and coffee, all count. But fruit juice and smoothies contain ‘free sugars’ that
are released when fruit and veg are juiced or blended. They can damage our
teeth, so we should drink no more than 150ml a day. That’s about one small
glass.
In hot weather or if exercising, then we should drink more. Fizzy
drinks, flavoured waters, squashes with added sugar, energy drinks and
flavoured milk drinks all contain lots of sugar so you should avoid these. Also
beware of caffeine. It’s a stimulant that can affect some people more than
others and it can also make you produce urine more often. Tea or coffee are
fine as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add the Smart Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a Package to your basket, and progress to the last stage of the checkout process, we will then add in your discount. So don't worry if you don't see it before then (such as in the cart).
Once you add a new subscription package to your basket, we will apply the first month free discount, which will be visible in your cart. So don’t worry if you don’t see it right away.
