While hydration and blood pressure are indeed connected with each other, will drinking lots of water dampen blood pressure levels?
Can You Lower Blood Pressure by Drinking Lots of Water?
Drinking water can help with the normalization of blood pressure. However, it does not necessarily lower one's blood pressure unless the body is dehydrated. It should be noted that drinking water is not a treatment for hypertension.
Since the body consists of 90% water, the general volume will go down when one experiences dehydration. In such cases, the body's blood vessels will end up narrowing. This, in turn, would boost blood pressure levels.
Nevertheless, it is important to stay hydrated in order to keep blood pressure levels under control. This should come alongside other lifestyle and health measures.
The human heart is also 73% water. There are no other liquids that are better for blood pressure control. Studies have also shown that including minerals, such as magnesium or calcium, into water can help more with blood pressure management.
Dehydration and Hypertension
When the body loses excessive water required for normal function, dehydration occurs. One of the primary reasons for dehydration is insufficient water intake or replenishment. Water can be lost due to too much urination, sweat, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Average adults drink 41 oz, or around 5 cups, of water each day. Those who are over 60, who also have elevated risks of developing hypertension, drink only 36 oz, or 4 and a half cups. This is just one-half to one-fifth of the recommended water intake.
Sodium, which is present in solves, plays two vital roles when it comes to blood pressure. It helps maintain water balance necessary for the body to constantly be in a state of equilibrium. It also aids with the contraction and relaxation of muscles, such as those present within blood vessels.
When levels of sodium are too high or low, the two functions may get affected. Even moderate impacts on the levels can lead to serious effects.
When one is dehydrated, water volume within the blood plummets. This leads to sodium concentration. This sodium boost makes the body secrete vasopressin, which stops the kidney from sending water to the urine and preventing loss of water. Simultaneously, vasopressin also makes the blood vessels narrow. This leads to increased blood pressure.
However, research regarding dehydration's impact on hypertension is still lacking. Nevertheless, an animal study conducted by Monash University found that long-term dehydration does not just make high blood pressure in mice worse but also boosts severe kidney damage risks.
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