Why Does Alcohol Dehydrate You? Tips to Minimize Dehydration and How to Rehydrate Quickly
Again, instead of drinking large quantities of water all at once, you may want to sip on fluids throughout the day as it may be easier for your body to handle. In particular, it’s best to enjoy caffeinated energy drinks and alcohol in moderation and consume them alongside water to stay properly hydrated. In another study in 20 older adults, drinking just 2 servings of wine increased short-term urine output.
Alcohol is converted in the liver and begins acting as a diuretic
“That’s pretty close to those hangover symptoms, right?” asks Brigitte Zeitlin, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.N., and owner of BZ Nutrition. It’s no surprise that coffee tops this list as one of the most dehydrating drinks due to its caffeine content—but don’t worry, one or two cups of joe won’t tip you over into total dehydration. This can help you to stay healthy and energized during the hottest summer months, when dehydration is a real concern. While we all know water is the ultimate hydrator, are there any drinks that actually contribute to dehydration? Here are some of the most popular beverages that can have a negative impact on hydration, plus how to help offset their dehydrating effects—especially in the heat of summer.
What are the common causes of dehydration?
Living in climates with high temperatures or engaging in prolonged physical activity raises body temperature and causes sweating. When you sweat, you need to replace the fluids that are being lost. Symptoms of dehydration in infants and toddlers may include no wet diapers, lack of tears when crying, and listlessness.
More on alcohol & dehydration
Here’s what you need to know about how alcohol dehydrates the body and how to drink responsibly. Vomiting, sweating and having diarrhea can each cause a loss of fluids. Overloading your system with https://ecosoberhouse.com/ water will only cause your body to eliminate any excess through your urine — taking vital electrolytes with it. OK, you’ve been trying to drink more water, but you’re still feeling dehydrated.
Drinks with higher alcohol content, including vodka, whiskey, and rum, can have a stronger dehydrating effect than beverages with lower alcohol content, such as beer or wine. While it can be tempting to consume alcohol on a hot summer day, the combination of high temperatures and alcohol can cause considerable fluid loss and dehydration. Consuming a meal containing plenty of healthy fats before drinking buffers alcohol absorption and allows more time to process and detoxify alcohol, which helps prevent dehydration. While drinking plenty of water is crucial to compensate for the fluid loss caused by alcohol, water alone will not hydrate you. Alcohol affects various physiological functions and interferes with urine production, fluid regulation, and electrolyte balance, all of which are crucial for maintaining proper hydration.
If you lose too much water or don’t drink and eat enough, you can get dehydrated. Understanding how consuming alcohol leads to increased urination requires an understanding of ADH. ADH stands for antidiuretic hormone (also known as vasopressin). When the human body senses it is getting dehydrated, the pituitary gland produces ADH to reduce urination. Alcohol works as a diuretic in your body, increasing urine output.
lack of urination
- Although it’s unknown whether alcohol dehydrates muscle, it still has an effect.
- Over time, mass mineral and electrolyte deficiencies can lead to rapid dehydration when alcohol enters the picture.
- For example, research from 2017 found that in elderly men at risk of dehydration, moderate consumption of high alcoholic beverages such as wine and liquor caused a diuretic effect.
The best way to quickly rehydrate is to regain the minerals flushed out due to excessive urination. After consuming a lot of alcohol—and experiencing the dehydration that comes with it—it’s very possible does alcohol dehydrate you that you experience a post-alcohol disorder known as a hangover. Euphoria, relaxation, and other physical and mental changes are the result of alcohol’s impact on your central nervous system.
Drink responsibly
Research published in Circulation found that potassium mitigates the adverse effects of alcohol on cardiovascular function and reduces the risk of high blood pressure. Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach causes rapid intestinal alcohol absorption, amplifying the dehydrating effects of alcohol. Rehydrating after consuming alcohol helps alleviate dehydration and can reduce the likelihood of a hangover. Occasional alcohol-related dehydration tends to manifest in symptoms commonly known as a hangover and can typically be managed without medical attention. While not all artificial sweeteners are equally offensive to hydration levels, some can really contribute to dehydration, mainly through their impact on digestion. Added sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, and mannitol are especially notorious for producing a laxative effect resulting in diarrhea, which can cause dehydration.
- In order to break this substance down and remove it from the body, your liver does most of the work of turning it into acetate.
- This test measures blood alcohol concentration (BAC), or the amount of alcohol in your blood.
- Taking electrolytes before drinking alcoholic drinks can prevent alcohol-related electrolyte depletion and dehydration.
- You’ve no doubt noticed that when you drink, you have to pee more.
- Additionally, making changes to the diet to replace dehydrating drinks may help.
Alcohol suppresses the hormone vasopressin, which governs how much you urinate. These foods also have the bonus of being easy on the digestive system if yours is upset from drinking too much alcohol. Dehydration is also a big part of why you get a hangover after drinking too much. Yes, rehydration is one of the best ways to reduce hangover symptoms. When you’re thirsty — or after you’ve gone for a run — you probably don’t reach for a beer, and you certainly don’t mix an Old Fashioned. High-water foods are not only hydrating, they’re often packed with nutritional goodies too.
Things you can do to treat dehydration
- Dehydration can cause mild symptoms like headache, dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue, or severe issues like damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, and even death (1).
- Reaching for hydrating beverages is the best way to alleviate a hangover’s unpleasant effects — but not every liquid fits this bill.
- Using electrolytes while drinking alcohol may be especially beneficial for individuals with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.
- This is similar to the effect of soda, but more so as energy drinks are one of the highest-caffeine-containing drinks (or foods, for that matter) that you can find.
While the liquid component of many drinks, and even certain foods, can help hydrate the body, quite a few liquids can have the opposite effect. A quick walk or just a few minutes of weight lifting can help turn your dehydration around. It goes without saying that you should combine these activities with a mineral and electrolyte-rich drink. Luckily, there are a few things you can try to stop dehydration from alcohol in its tracks. Knowing and listening to your own body is the best way to prevent a hydration mishap — or really, any medical mishap. Just because your friends are taking that extra tequila shot doesn’t mean you have to.
