Following the age-old advice, drinking plenty of water is good for health. That’s because water keeps you hydrated, regulates your body temperature, aids digestion, and supports all bodily functions. But does drinking water reduce inflammation?
Recent research suggests that staying well-hydrated might play a role in reducing inflammation in the body. If you have chronic inflammation or want to know how water helps, read on to learn how sipping on a glass of water supports your health.
The Relation Between Hydration and Inflammation
Your body comprises about 60% water, and every organ relies on proper hydration to function. Without enough fluids, your body can’t effectively flush out toxins, which can accumulate and cause inflammation. But how does water help with inflammation?
Current research highlights the importance of hydration in managing inflammation. A study on agricultural workers showed that dehydration can lead to an increase in inflammatory chemicals, called cytokines, in the body. It can also contribute to acute kidney injury because the body can’t remove toxins without enough water.
Another study revealed that reduced hydration can increase inflammatory proteins in the skin. These proteins make your skin inflamed, which can weaken the skin’s protective barrier and cause more inflammation.
Water also helps keep your joints healthy and lubricated, making them move smoothly. If your body doesn’t have enough water, your joints can become stiff and painful due to reduced lubrication. This can lead to inflammation and discomfort.
Experts recommend drinking about 15.5 cups of water for men and 11.5 cups of water for women. The total amount includes about four to six glasses of water and fluids from food and other beverages. This will maintain your body’s natural detoxification processes and keep your joints well-lubricated, reducing pain and inflammation.
Understanding Inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s natural immune response to injury, infection, or irritants. It’s a protective mechanism that aims to eliminate harmful substances or germs, clear out damaged cells, and heal your body. It can be acute or chronic, leading to signs like redness, swelling, and pain.
The following causes can trigger your immune system and cause inflammation:
- Infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites
- Physical trauma, such as injuries, cuts, bruises, or fractures
- Autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis, where your immune system mistakenly attacks your healthy tissues
- Allergic reactions to certain substances like pollen
- Exposure to environmental factors like pollutants, chemicals, or toxins
- Chronic stress
- Unhealthy diet and lifestyle
- Dehydration
The Connection Between Dehydration and Inflammation
While you can easily reverse mild dehydration by hydrating properly, chronic dehydration can significantly impact your body. It can lead to inflammation, especially in your joints. When you don’t drink enough water over the long term, you’re at a higher risk of joint pain and conditions like arthritis.
Dehydration and joint pain
Water is essential for maintaining synovial fluid, which is a liquid that lubricates and cushions your joints. Drinking less water can affect the levels of synovial fluid in your body, increasing friction and joint pain.
Research in mice and cows shows dehydration reduces water content in connective tissues like cartilage. Since cartilage has about 80% water, this suggests that not drinking enough water can also affect humans. When you’re dehydrated, cartilage or the connective tissue around your bones becomes dry and less flexible, leading to stiff and painful joints.
Additionally, dehydration impairs the body’s ability to clear toxins, which can further contribute to joint inflammation and discomfort.
Dehydration and arthritis
If you already have joint pain or arthritis, dehydration can worsen your symptoms. Cartilage requires proper hydration to remain flexible and healthy. Less fluid intake can dry out your cartilage, increasing your risk of developing arthritis. Dehydration can also trigger inflammatory responses, worsening symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, which is when your body’s immune system attacks your joints.
The Importance of Hydration
As mentioned, staying well-hydrated positively impacts every system in your body. It helps maintain joint health, reduce inflammation, and manage arthritis more effectively. Here’s how.
How water affects inflammation
Drinking enough water helps lower your body’s inflammatory chemicals and boosts kidney function, removing toxins from your body. It keeps your cartilage hydrated, reduces joint stiffness, and maintains cell function to prevent inflammation.
Benefits of staying hydrated
Staying hydrated also supports digestion and improves nutrient absorption, preventing inflammation-related gut problems like constipation. It also promotes your skin’s barrier function, boosts mental and physical health, and regulates body temperature.
Ways to reduce swelling
Swelling caused by inflammation can be painful and uncomfortable. Here’s how you can reduce swelling and promote healing:
- Cold compress: Apply a cold pack of ice wrapped in a cloth to the swollen area for 15 to 20 minutes several times a day. It helps narrow blood vessels, normalize blood pressure, and reduce inflammation.
- Elevation: Raising the swollen area above the heart level helps reduce pain and pressure. It reduces fluid accumulation and relieves inflammation.
- Anti-inflammatory foods and drinks: Have anti-inflammatory foods, such as berries, leafy greens, and fatty fish, and drinks like green tea. Also, you can alleviate inflammation with hydrogen water. Hydrogen water offers more benefits than regular water due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Is hot or cold water better for reducing swelling?
Externally, cold water therapy is more effective for reducing swelling because it narrows blood vessels, reducing inflammation. It’s ideal for acute injuries like sprains or bruises to ease pain and swelling quickly.
On the other hand, hot water can increase inflammation by dilating blood vessels and boosting blood flow. While heat is good for relaxing muscles and easing chronic pain, it’s not suitable for reducing inflammation caused by acute injuries.
But does drinking cold water reduce inflammation, or does drinking hot water reduce inflammation? Drinking cold or hot water doesn’t directly reduce inflammation. It totally depends on your preference — drinking cold water can be refreshing, while hot water can make you feel relaxed. To relieve inflammation, focus on overall hydration and an anti-inflammatory diet.
Water’s Role in Recovery and Rehabilitation
Proper hydration helps your body heal, transporting nutrients to cells and flushing out toxins. Staying well-hydrated supports tissue repair, maintains your blood pressure, and keeps the body’s systems functioning optimally.
Drinking enough water helps you stay healthy by lubricating your joints and preventing inflammation. If you notice signs of inflammation, such as swelling, drink plenty of water and include anti-inflammatory foods and drinks in your diet.
Water-based exercises, like swimming or water aerobics, are often used in physical therapy. The buoyancy of water reduces impact on joints and provides resistance for strengthening muscles. You can easily exercise in water and support your bones and muscles.
For an extra health boost, consider maintaining hydration with Piurify’s hydrogen-water solutions. Our hydrogenators help you make hydrogen water at home or on the go, allowing you to enjoy its many benefits wherever you are.
Explore our product selection and find the perfect hydrogenator to support your well-being.
FAQs
Does hydration reduce inflammation?
Proper hydration helps lower signs of inflammation. It supports overall bodily functions that reduce inflammation.
Can dehydration cause inflammation?
Dehydration can impair cellular function and increase inflammatory responses in the body.
How much water should I drink to flush out inflammation?
Aim to drink at least 4 to 6 cups of water per day, in addition to the water intake from food and beverages. However, your water needs can vary based on factors like age, weight, activity levels, climate, and overall health.
What can I drink to reduce inflammation?
Incorporate anti-inflammatory drinks like green tea into your diet. You can also drink hydrogen water to reduce inflammation. It provides essential hydration and helps neutralize harmful free radicals in the body.