Top 5 Hydration Myths

There are a lot of myths out there about hydration. Here are 5 that we found interesting!

Hydration and dehydration are perplexing topics. Most people have learned through marketing sources about hydration, generally with either an overt or ulterior motive to promote a product or agenda. 

How often have you heard that you need to drink your body weight in ounces? Or that you are not hydrated unless your pee is clear? Ever see that weight lifter walking around with a gallon jug of water?

No two people have the same biological makeup so why would we all be required to drink the same percentage of water?

Below you will find 5 myths that we think are worth sharing. 

Myth 1:  Urine Color Is An Accurate Measure of Hydration

"My pee is clear, I must be hydrated."

Striving for clear hydration is a mistake often made by people who don't understand what "clear" might mean.

Urine color is also a delayed response.  If your urine is almost clear you may be close to over-hydrated.  This is just as dangerous as being dehydrated.

There are a lot of variables that can change the color of your urine.  Many foods and vitamin you ingest can alter the color of your urine.

"When people use color as a barometer for hydration they are not considering that your body is in constant change and dealing with multiple issues that may alter urine color.  So using this as good measure is not always accurate."  Dr. Anthony Beck

Myth 2:  If You Feel Thirsty, You Are Already Dangerously Dehydrated

Thirst is a mechanism we have to remind us to drink water but it does not always mean we are in trouble and dangerously dehydrated. 

Our brain knows when we need to reach for the bottle of water (or ORAL IV).  Most people will get the urge for water (thirst) long before there is any dangerous situation ahead. 

Drink water when you are thirsty and don't drink water when you are not thirsty.  It is why we have the indicator in the first place.  Professional athletes, runners and people that are involved in exertion tasks might drink a little more often but they too have an indicator.

Myth 3:  Caffeine Causes Dehydration 

Are you one of those people that has to have a cup of coffee before work? Us too! That daily cup of attitude is the one thing that might power you through your first part of the day, but is it dehydrating you? 

According to Dr. Beck, the commonly held belief that coffee makes you dehydrated is plain wrong, especially for the casual coffee or tea drinker. Although large doses of caffeine alone can dehydrate, the water in your coffee and tea more than make up for any dehydrating effects, he explains.

But if you drink a ton of caffeine, energy drinks, or take caffeine pills, you can offset your system (and we don't recommend it). In this case you will need to drink more water to compensate for the potential dehydration.

Myth 4:  You Can't Drink Too Much Water

Myth 5:  Only Sports Drinks Can Properly Hydrate You 

Sports drinks have a purpose. They are designed to replace what you lose when you do extremely long exercises, super long runs, or long hikes in the hot sun. But the key part is they "replace" volume of fluids, sugars and electrolytes. The body needs to digest these products, determine which ones to use, and then take them in.

Most people are not enduring these conditions and do not need to replace their lost electrolytes and sugar. If you are working out for an hour or traveling on a 5 hour flight you do not need to replace your electrolytes with a sports drink. You can eat a good meal to replace electrolytes, drink water for fluid replacement and take an ORAL I.V. to stay hydrated.
 

"So how do I stay hydrated?" you ask.

As we said, every person's body is different. There is no one size fits all. For the average person that doesn't have a medical issue or lose an extreme amount of fluids through their exercise or any other activity, maintaining your hydration can be as simple as the appropriate water intake for your body's daily adventures and activities. Our bodies are cleverly designed to hydrate naturally and efficiently, it's that simple. Our life depends upon it.

However, we don't live in the sanctuary of a bubble. The modern day body is experiencing barriers to optimal hydration health caused by invasive toxins in most everything our body ingests, including the air we breath. For a first world country, the fact that the majority of us in the U.S. are chronically dehydrated is unacceptable. Something is wrong, and something has to shift.

At ORAL I.V., we believe in simplicity. Understanding how the body's hydration process works on a cellular level has given us the insight to shift our thinking. Knowing that if we simply drink enough water AND give our bodies the ideal amount of trace minerals and electrolytes required to trigger the hydration process with structured water as the conduit, we can achieve healthy hydration. Simply and naturally.