How Getting Enough Water Can Benefit Your Diabetes Health
Although drinking enough water is essential for good health, many of us are “perpetually dehydrated” and susceptible to severe dehydration/DKA from everyday activity.
According to the Institute of Medicine, a concerning percentage of people are “perpetually dehydrated”. And if you fall into this category, there’s a good probability that dehydration is having an impact on your blood sugar levels and other, more subtly important parts of your daily health.
For swallowing, digesting, and transferring nutrients to and within cells, controlling body temperature, and eliminating waste, water serves as the transport mechanism.
Let’s examine more closely how drinking water impacts your blood sugar levels and general wellness.
Lack of water results in more concentrated blood.
According to US Geological Survey (USGS) studies, water makes up more than half of the human body.
People with diabetes who don’t drink enough water have blood that is more concentrated, containing more milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood.
Mild Dehydration Everyday
Daily mild dehydration can easily result in a small rise in blood sugar, but even blood sugar levels that are 25 mg/dL higher than they would be if you were normally hydrated might add up in terms of your overall diabetic health and HbA1c objectives.
Check how much actual water you consume each day as a tip.
- We drink diet Coke or coffee all day long far too frequently. Despite the fact that both of those drinks contain a lot of water, there are a number of reasons why they cannot even come close to replacing pure water.
- If you drink more than a few cups of coffee every day, the caffeine in particular can easily lead to an increase in insulin resistance.
- Additionally, aspartame-sweetened typical diet drinks are filled with chemicals and have been linked in studies to insulin resistance.
- Seltzer and unsweetened tea, on the other hand, are good options for staying hydrated, but it doesn’t mean you should completely avoid the clear liquids.
Find a reusable container and make a commitment to drinking at least 1 full serving of water each day from it if you don’t currently have a good water consumption routine. Eventually, you might discover that you prefer the pure stuff to more coffee!
Unexpectedly Severe Dehydration
However, severe dehydration can result in very abrupt and large blood sugar rises, ranging from 100 mg/dL to 250 mg/dL, for instance, while you’re participating in an athletic event or watching the July 4th parade in 95 degree heat.
Your blood sugar level can jump in this way extremely fast and easily.
Tip: As diabetics on insulin, we should drink significantly more water than usual on those sweltering summer days to prevent dehydration.
If dehydration is the cause of your abrupt jump to 250 mg/dL, treat it with your “correction factor” insulin dose and a few large glasses of water.
Additionally, it’s critical to monitor your ketone levels when blood sugar levels soar. Test your ketones and contact your medical team if you test positive for moderate-to-large ketones if your blood sugar doesn’t decrease in 2 to 3 hours after taking a correction dose and drinking water.
Vomiting and severe stomach virus-related dehydration
When you contract a severe stomach bug or the flu and find yourself vomiting out every last drop of body water, there is no faster way to dehydrate yourself.
If a person with type 1 diabetes vomits on a sick day, it might swiftly escalate into a serious emergency.
Because of the acute dehydration it causes, a stomach illness can quickly and easily cause your blood sugar to rise from 100 mg/dL to over 250 mg/dL. If you can’t control your thirst, your dehydration will cause your ketone levels to rise dangerously, possibly putting you in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Additionally, DKA is accompanied by highly obstinately high blood sugar levels that are resistant to home insulin infusions.
Advice: Do not delay. If you have a stomach illness or the flu and are unable to drink water or eat, go to the closest emergency room to get intravenous fluids.
A shorter stay is guaranteed if you go sooner rather than later; after a few hours of being strung up, your blood sugar and hydration levels will be restored, and you’ll be sent home.
Your journey to the ER will take significantly longer if you wait and try to manage at home since they will have to treat DKA in addition to the dehydration.
Drink plenty of water!
Add additional water to that body of yours! There is simply no getting around the fact that drinking increases your mood. (And, ugh, more and more studies keeps showing how much water helps with weight reduction, too!)
The target is to consume at least 8 glasses (8 ounces) per day, but if you don’t already, just start small. The best place to start is with one glass before each meal.
We don’t typically identify water with many of the daily processes that take place in your body, yet water is actually necessary for them all!
● delivering nutrition and oxygen to all of the body’s cells
● Urinating while flushing microorganisms from your bladder
● Aiding in efficient digestion of food
● Avoidance of constipation
● Keeping a healthy pulse and blood pressure
● Maintaining the condition of your joints Providing general organ protection
● Preserving a normal body temperature
● Preserving normal salt and electrolyte levels
Consult your doctor about the appropriate amount of water to consume if you suffer from any of the following conditions:
● Renal illness of any kind
● Thyroid condition
● Any liver problems of any kind
● A few cardiac issues
● Medications that cause water retention as an adverse effect
● NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.
● Some antidepressant kinds
● All opiate painkillers
You require water. Increase the importance of consuming it in your life. Your blood sugar levels will rise, and water will do so much more!