What happens to your body when you dont drink any fluids?!


Question: I never drink anything but Mountain Dew and Tea. Lately I think it has caught up with me. I feel so bad all of the time. No energy at all. Could this be due to a lack of fluids?


Answers: I never drink anything but Mountain Dew and Tea. Lately I think it has caught up with me. I feel so bad all of the time. No energy at all. Could this be due to a lack of fluids?

Mountain Dew and tea do c o u n t (I put in spaces, because the spell checker thinks this is a rude word - good job Y!A) as fluids, but can be more unhealthy than water (teas are generally not too bad, and it depends on the water source you're comparing against, but for this question, we'll assume we're talking about the cleanest water you coulc get).

The human body needs to obtain between 35-50 ml/kg/day in fluids. This does not c o u n t ongoing insensible losses - respiration, faeces, evaporation from skin, fevers causing greater loss. This also does not c o u n t additional losses - vomiting, diarrhoea....etc... These losses need to be replaced as well, but the amount varies depending on what is lost, and how much.

Fluids contain electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride...etc..., which the cells of the body require for their functions. Dehydration can cause severe imbalances in electrolytes, and this can affect organ function (heart, brain..etc..).

Dehydration can also pre-dispose you to other problems, as it reduces the blood volume available in the body to pump around, and such reduced volume could have a greater propensity to clot. This means on an extreme level, there is a higher possibility of getting deep vein thromboses (DVT - clots in the legs), or in having organs fail (eg: kidney/renal failure).

It also increases the likelihood of constipation, as the large intestine absorbs a lot of water, so if you don't drink much there isn't much left (if any) to lubricate stools and make passing them simple. Straining to pass such hard, dry stools is not good for you, and can even tear the skin/anal canal, which is painful.

Bottom line: Dehydration is not good for you for a lot of reasons. You good ballpark (for the average adult) to aim for is 2-3 litres of fluid a day (amount varies depending on size and sex - for a better estimate, use the calculcation I mentioned above). It's not absolutely important what you drink, as long as you stay away from things likely to dehydrate you further - ie: caffeine containing drinks, alcohol...etc... Of course, while you may maintain your fluid input through drinking things like Mountain Dew, if you start to look at the nutritional and health aspects, it's obvious that drinks like that are not great from other perspectives.

fluids are sucked fom various parts of you body to prevent dehydration, one part being your brain, and that causes a hella headache

You die (eventually). Your body can tolerate lack of food longer than lack of liquids, and drinking only caffinated beverages won't make your kidneys happy at all.

Drink more water...if you dislike water (I don't care for it much myself, plain) then drink Crystal Light or some other low/no calorie flavored drink that'll get fluid into your body without a lot of sugar, caffiene, etc (stuff the body doesn't need).

well... its not a lack of fluid but a lack of water. See, water makes up 60% of your body... in order to keep yourself hydrated you need to drink water daily. You can drink mountain dew but you need to drink more water... after a while you'll feel better while being healthy!

Dehydration. Do you get headaches and feel weak a lot? Try drinking water regularly and you notice a difference.

yes, tea its not too bad but mountain dew is not good at all to have instead of water it has way too much sugar and cafeine

drink water and drinks without caffeine and very little sugar if your mouth is dry and you start having headaches take some pedialyte, its for kids but it works great for adults..

No, it's not just psychological.

The water will help you flush your system of toxins, as well as replenish the healthy flesh of your body.





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