It’s been a hard year for many of us from a mental health perspective… the fear of getting ill, the fear of someone we love being ill, worries about work, our children not attending school for nearly 6 months and the constant media coverage of the pandemic. All of this has led to an increase in people saying they are feeling stressed, anxious, and lonely as covered on the Government Mental Health website.
We all know that healthy eating, more exercise in the fresh air, a reduction in alcohol consumption and a good night’s sleep can do wonders for people with mild depression or anxiety. However, research from the University of Isfahan – published by the US National Library of Medicine has shown that something as simple as “Drinking plain water is associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety in adults.” It would appear that even a relatively small reduction in your hydration levels, can negatively affect your mood. As the brain is 75% water it when it is properly hydrated it can think quicker and humans experience greater clarity and even greater creativity. Studies have shown that dehydration can affect your motor skills and awareness as well as your mood. Water also assists with delivering essential nutrients to the brain and removing toxins.
The link between the gut and the brain is now a well established fact. According to an article on Healthline, staying hydrated has a positive impact on the mucosal lining of the intestines. This in return, is good for the balance of good bacteria within the gut. Put simply: staying hydrated is a great way to promote a healthy gut. According to Dr Jacqueline Wolf (professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School) “Most people are not eating the right foods, and they’re not drinking enough water,”
Adequate hydration is essential for health no matter what our age. According to Sophie Murray- head of Nutrition and Hydration at Sunrise Senior Living” Within the gut, there are thought to be approximately 1,000 different species of bacteria, which can be subdivided into categories. This is a complex area of research but essentially, bacteria affects the way the body functions. It is thought that up to 90% of diseases can be traced back to the gut!” Now more than ever we need to ensure adequate hydration to keep our bodies healthy, our mood in balance and our immune system functioning properly. It would appear that by drinking around 2 litres of plain old water every day can do wonders for our day to day physical and mental health.
