Water, Dehydration, & Thyroid
May 28, 2015 / Thyroid Health / Source: Health
I've been learning a lot about dehydration and the negative impact it can have on our health, including our metabolism. So, although many may not think about the correlation of drinking water with thyroid health, I believe it plays an important role in maintaining a healthy metabolism and in return better thyroid regulation. Since water plays a role in almost all of our body's biological functioning it makes sense that our metabolism would slow down when we get dehydrated.
In addition, Wellness Magazine indicated that the decreasing speed of our metabolism was compounded when we consider the additional factor that, "your body’s ability to utilize fat as fuel is also restricted when you are in a dehydrated state." Therefore, it's vital that we focus on keeping our bodies properly hydrated by drinking enough water. The current guidelines state that we should drink at least half our body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds then you should aim for at least 60 ounces of water.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that water also helps to flush out toxins. Since the American diet frequently consists of processed foods, water can play a role in detoxing. We all know that the ideal would be to eat only clean, organic foods, but unfortunately that is not always possible for many people. Therefore, our bodies need all the extra help they can get to rid it of the toxins we ingest.
So, in light of all of the above mentioned benefits, I believe that staying hydrated is a key factor in achieving healthy thyroid functioning. Plus, with all of the other benefits that water provides (e.g., increased energy, reduces cravings), it's impossible to discount the importance of it. Water is essential to our overall health.
For additional information, you can check out the following links:
The Link Between Dehydration and Metabolism