Water and Cognitive Function

What did you have for dinner last night? Does it take you longer to remember things? Have you recently put you keys somewhere and were unable to find them later? 

In previous blogs, we shared the scientific knowledge that water accounts for up to 60 % of our body. However, when we consider our brain separately, the USGS (a branch of the US Department of the Interior) points out that our brains are a whopping 73% water! Just imagine the impact of a brain that is in constant dehydration. Rather than thinking in severe cases, imagine the impact of chronic mild dehydration.

You may not notice the little memory lapses every day, or you may attribute your experiences to aging. However, studies have shown dehydration will affect a multitude of brain functions such as memory, processing rates, and even focus (Hearn & Hearn, 2022). This is why children and adults with attention deficit disorder can benefit from improving their water intake as many are shown to be insufficiently hydrated. Additionally, it helps explain the connection between dehydration and dementia in aging adults.

It is said that the cells in our brain require twice as much energy as other body cells to function properly. The brain requires energy to produce neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are what send the messages from your nerves that tell your body what to do, whether it be to recall a memory or to move your arm up and down.

So, if we need high levels of energy for the brain, how do we get that energy? Yep, you guessed it. Water is arguably the best way to get the energy our brain needs.

Dinking enough water each day is critical to our brain health because our brains do not have the ability to store water. Last blog, we challenged you to drink an extra glass or two of water each day. Today, we ask you to kick it up a notch by focusing on the timing of our water intake to ensure you are drinking throughout the day. We challenge you to begin your day with 16 ounces of water. This means trying to drink pure water the moment you wake up, before any coffee, tea, or juice. We know this is a habit that will help you thrive!

References – For more information, check out these websites:

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body

https://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/water-and-brain.html

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22513-neurotransmitters