A US study has found too little water can affect older women’s cognitive performance.
The research by the University of Pennsylvania looked at 1,271 women and 1,235 men 60 years of age or older and calculated their hydration status based on concentrations of sodium, potassium, glucose, and urea nitrogen in their blood and their total water intake from beverages and foods.
They then tested the group using several tasks designed to assess their motor speed, attention and memory.
The result? Women who had lower levels of hydration performed poorer in their concentration and focus.
Interestingly, men showed no effects from lower hydration – which they couldn’t explain.
The researchers also discovered similar results when participants drank too much water – suggesting there is a limit to how much water you should be drinking.
Of course, the team cautions that they need to do more study to determine if lower hydration causes cognitive impairment or people with impaired cognition are just more likely to be under- or over-hydrated.
However, they say our need to stay hydrated does increase as we get older.
“As we age, our water reserves decline due to reductions in muscle mass, our kidneys become less effective at retaining water, and hormonal signals that trigger thirst and motivate water intake become blunted,” Hilary Bethancourt, a postdoctoral scholar in biobehavioral health at Penn State who was first author on the paper, said.
The lesson? It’s time to pay more attention to how much – or how little – you’re drinking – and speak to your GP if you have concerns.
Bottom’s up!
