Drinking water may extend your life

For years, we’ve all heard that we should drink plenty of water every day. It prevents dehydration, helps to manage body temperature, lubricates joints, protects the spinal cord, and helps to flush wastes from the body.

A new study finds it may also extend your life.

 A National Institutes of Health study published in the journal eBioMedicine reports drinking enough water may significantly lower your risk of developing chronic diseases, dying early, or being biologically older than your chronological age.

“The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down aging and prolong a disease-free life,” said study author Natalia Dmitrieva, a researcher in the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of NIH, in a news release.

 Based on previous research in mice, researchers thought optimal hydration might slow the aging process. The earlier studies found lifelong water restriction increased the serum sodium of mice by 5 milliequivalents per liter and shortened their life span by six months, the equivalent of 15 years of human life. Serum sodium in the blood increases when we drink less fluids.

The NIH study used health data from more than 11,000 adults tracked over 30 years. It found adults with serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L had up to a 64% increased associated risk for developing chronic diseases like heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral artery disease, as well as chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia. These adults were also more likely to die younger, researchers said.

 “People whose serum sodium is 142 mEq/L or higher would benefit from evaluation of their fluid intake,” Dmitrieva said. “Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, which is why the results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease.”  

 The latest study did not recommend an optimal quantity of water adults should consume daily. The National Academies of Medicine suggest that most women should consume 6 to 9 cups of fluids daily and men should drink 8 to 12 cups.  The recommendations include all fluids and water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, and soups.

 Drinking enough fluids may be the easiest thing we can do to extend our healthy lifespans.