Abstract
Although adequate hydration is essential for health, little attention has been paid to the effects of hydration among the generally healthy population. This narrative review presents the state of the science on the role of hydration in health in the general population, specifically in skin health, neurological function (i.e., cognition, mood, and headache), gastrointestinal and renal functions, and body weight and composition. There is a growing body of evidence that supports the importance of adequate hydration in maintaining proper health, especially with regard to cognition, kidney stone risk, and weight management. However, the evidence is largely associative and lacks consistency, and the number of randomized trials is limited. Additionally, there are major gaps in knowledge related to health outcomes due to small variations in hydration status, the influence of sex and sex hormones, and age, especially in older adults and children.
Highlights
Water is essential for life and is involved in virtually all functions of the human body [1]
Significant association between high fluid intake and a lower risk of incident kidney stones based on pooled risk ratio (RR) for randomized clinical trial (RCT) only [0.40]
We identified one meta-analysis on high fluid intake and kidney stones which reported a significant association between high fluid intake and a lower risk of incident kidney stones, with 0.40-fold (RCTs) and 0.59-fold decreased risk [27]
Summary
Water is essential for life and is involved in virtually all functions of the human body [1]. It is important in thermoregulation, as a solvent for biochemical reactions, for maintenance of vascular volume, and as the transport medium for providing nutrients within and removal of waste from the body [2]. Deficits in body water can compromise our health if they lead to substantial perturbations in body water balance [2]. “Euhydration” defines a normal and narrow fluctuation in body water content, while “hypohydration” and “hyperhydration” refer to a generalized body water deficit or excess, respectively, beyond the normal range. “dehydration” describes the process of losing body water while “rehydration” describes the process of gaining body water
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