Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Hydration and heart health
Hydration is an essential part of nutrition and can benefit or impact your heart’s ability to work effectively.
Studies have found that having adequate hydration is associated with reduced long-term risks for heart diseases.
Did you know that over 66% of the UK population doesn’t drink enough water? With Nutrition and Hydration Week coming up from 11th to 18th March, we are sharing some information on the importance of hydration and your cardiovascular system.
Importance of being hydrated
Water makes up over half (60%) of your body weight and fluids are critical for good health and heart health. Hydration is when you drink more fluids than your body loses.
Being hydrated helps your heart pump blood more easily through the blood vessels and to your muscles. This means that your muscles, including your heart, don’t have to work as hard to achieve the same results.
Risks of being dehydrated
Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in. Fluids can be lost through sweat, urination, vomiting or diarrhoea. When these are not replaced your body may feel tired, you might feel thirsty, have a dry mouth, have dark-coloured urine and suffer from headaches.
Being dehydrated means that your heart needs to beat faster to pump your blood around the body.
This is because your blood reduces in volume and thickens which will impact your circulation, as well as increase your heart rate and blood pressure. This increases your risk of heart diseases.
Sources of hydration
On average an adult needs six to eight glasses or 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid a day. If it is a hot temperature or you carry out physical activity, you’ll need more.
Drinking water is the best way to remain hydrated however, other non-alcoholic drinks such as milk, juice and herbal teas can also hydrate you.
Food such as fruits and vegetables can also help to hydrate you, with around 20% of your body’s water intake per day coming from foods like these.