A shocking new survey has revealed four million people haven't drunk a glass of water in over a week
We all know drinking more water is important to keep our bodies healthy and hydrated – but when did you last head to the tap and pour yourself a glass?
And, it seems, not getting enough H2O could be making many of us ill.
The new survey, commissioned by Sodastream, also found that less than one in four adults regularly drink the recommended two litres of water a day, while 15% admit they drink more alcohol than water – and many more prefer sipping tea or coffee.
But despite our reluctance to actually glug the clear stuff, almost half of us admitted that when we do drink it, we feel more energised, have clearer skin and crave fewer junk foods.
“Our bodies are basically a collection of billions of reactions going off every second,” explains Dr Chidi Ngwaba, director of The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic.
“As these reactions all need water, is it any wonder that water is the most essential substance in our diet?”
Severe dehydration can indeed be life threatening, but even mild dehydration can cause issues ranging from headaches and digestive problems to lapses in concentration.
A recent study of the effects of dehydration on drivers at Loughborough University found that dehydrated drivers made twice the amount of errors during a two-hour drive compared to hydrated drivers – the same number of mistakes as those over the drink-drive limit for alcohol.
Indeed an increasing number of doctors believe low levels of hydration could be responsible for a raft of health problems, including what’s been dubbed TATT or “Tired All The Time Syndrome” in which people suffer chronic daily exhaustion with no obvious medical cause.
“One in five GP visits in the UK are down to tiredness and fatigue,” explains GP Dr Ellie Cannon, “and it’s thought that dehydration could be a culprit in over 12% of such cases.”
Signs you’re not drinking enough
Even mild dehydration can cause any of the following symptoms...
• Tiredness
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Poor concentration
• Irritability
• Not peeing often and darker urine
• Constipation
• Bad breath
How much do I need?
Our bodies lose water throughout the day, even when we’re not sweating, which is why we need to constantly replenish this fluid loss.
But despite any universal recommendations you may have heard such as eight glasses a day, the amount each person should drink to offset fluid loss will vary according to your size, activity level and how hot the weather is.
In other words, the bigger and more active you are, the more fluids you will need. You will also need to drink more if you’re in a warm climate.
Many people only drink water if they feel particularly thirsty, but by the time your body signals to your brain that it needs water it’s already lost around 2% of its total water content, meaning you’re in the early stages of dehydration.
Plus thirst isn’t a reliable way of ensuring kids drink enough, as the thirst mechanism tends to be underdeveloped in children, making them more vulnerable to dehydration.
In hot or cold weather, kids generally need reminding to drink regularly, as do the very elderly or those with dementia – their thirst mechanism is weak and dehydration leads to more mental confusion.
A better method of monitoring your hydration levels is keeping an eye on the colour of your urine. Ideally it should be a light, straw colour. Any darker probably means that you’re dehydrated and need to drink more.
Although some bottled waters contain minerals such as calcium or magnesium, the quantities are tiny. And if you live in a hard water area you can often glean more calcium from tap water, as it contains higher levels.