I don't have humps
May 10, 2013 3:56 AM Subscribe
But I feel like I'm a camel. Everyone says to drink more, but I don't feel thirsty. Is it OK that I don't drink unless I'm thirsty?
Everywhere you hear "Drink more (water)!". But I don't feel thirsty unless I haven't had something to drink for a good while (sometimes many hours) or I've lost water through sweating. If I try to force myself to drink when I don't feel like drinking, the drink races right through my body incredibly quickly. All the general "drink more" chatter out there makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but it seems that listening to your own body usually makes good sense, and furthermore, if you are not supposed to eat when you are not hungry, why should you drink if you are not thirsty?
Everywhere you hear "Drink more (water)!". But I don't feel thirsty unless I haven't had something to drink for a good while (sometimes many hours) or I've lost water through sweating. If I try to force myself to drink when I don't feel like drinking, the drink races right through my body incredibly quickly. All the general "drink more" chatter out there makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong, but it seems that listening to your own body usually makes good sense, and furthermore, if you are not supposed to eat when you are not hungry, why should you drink if you are not thirsty?
Try carrying a small bottle around or have it on your desk, it can be filled with mineral or tap water. I find doing this gives me a habit to sip throughout the day. Maybe that would be better than feeling as if you are forcing yourself to do something you don't want to.
posted by 0 answers at 4:26 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by 0 answers at 4:26 AM on May 10, 2013
A lot of people have a weaker "thirsty" signal from their body. So their body is saying that it's thirsty, they just aren't hearing or recognizing it. Also, sometimes people mistake "thirsty" for "hungry". Finally, there are definite ill effects from too much food consumption, but you have to work extremely hard to consume too much water, so keeping water handy and sipping a little whenever you happen to think about it is a pretty safe experiment to try. If you take small sips over an extended period and stick with it for a while, you may find that your body adjusts and you stop having to pee so often.
(Anecdata: I was never particularly thirsty but when I started drinking more [unintentionally, I got an office job and nibbling on my water bottle all day is better than snacking] my veins became visible...something I've never had before. So clearly all that water is not just going straight through me, even though some days that's what it feels like.)
posted by anaelith at 4:32 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
(Anecdata: I was never particularly thirsty but when I started drinking more [unintentionally, I got an office job and nibbling on my water bottle all day is better than snacking] my veins became visible...something I've never had before. So clearly all that water is not just going straight through me, even though some days that's what it feels like.)
posted by anaelith at 4:32 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
IAAD, IANYD, etc.
Actually, the "thirsty" signal your body provides is best thought of like the "empty" light on your gas tank. Putting a single gallon (or litre, depending on where you are) of gas in your tank will turn off that stupid light, but it doesn't mean your tank's FULL at all.
That doesn't mean you need to be drinking gallons of water a day, but it does mean you need to be drinking enough so that your urine is a very light yellow (a much better mark of your hydration status). So that's how to sort out how much water to drink. That amount will vary some between individuals.
Our body has pretty good "emergency" signals, but not as many "please perform regular maintenance" ones.
posted by vetala at 4:49 AM on May 10, 2013 [8 favorites]
Actually, the "thirsty" signal your body provides is best thought of like the "empty" light on your gas tank. Putting a single gallon (or litre, depending on where you are) of gas in your tank will turn off that stupid light, but it doesn't mean your tank's FULL at all.
That doesn't mean you need to be drinking gallons of water a day, but it does mean you need to be drinking enough so that your urine is a very light yellow (a much better mark of your hydration status). So that's how to sort out how much water to drink. That amount will vary some between individuals.
Our body has pretty good "emergency" signals, but not as many "please perform regular maintenance" ones.
posted by vetala at 4:49 AM on May 10, 2013 [8 favorites]
Argh argh argh argh argh. I don't know why, but this obsession with "hydration" really sticks in my craw. Maybe it's because my husband buys into it, and walks around with a water bottle during all his waking hours and consequently also has to pee about every two hours and suffers from anxiety about find himself trapped someplace without access to a bathroom.
The medical facts back up your intuition, not the DRINK MOAR WATR people. The whole emphasis on hydration got its impetus from the bottled water industry to begin with.
posted by drlith at 4:53 AM on May 10, 2013 [37 favorites]
The medical facts back up your intuition, not the DRINK MOAR WATR people. The whole emphasis on hydration got its impetus from the bottled water industry to begin with.
posted by drlith at 4:53 AM on May 10, 2013 [37 favorites]
I've read that feeling thirsty means you are already dehydrated.
Also, you get much of your water through fruits, vegetables and other foods you eat so you don't literally need to drink 8 glasses of water.
posted by simplethings at 5:07 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, you get much of your water through fruits, vegetables and other foods you eat so you don't literally need to drink 8 glasses of water.
posted by simplethings at 5:07 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Drinking more water has a lot of things going for it: it makes you feel more full, so you don't snack as much between meals. It ensures you are well-hydrated before you go out for a long workout in warm weather where you'll be sweating a lot. But pretty much if you're having a drink with a meal and eating fruits and vegetables, you're getting plenty of water. If you don't feel thirsty, you're probably fine, unless there are some other health problems or digestion issues that are apparent.
posted by deanc at 5:13 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by deanc at 5:13 AM on May 10, 2013
Seconding drlith. It's a myth (as those links show) that you need to drink drink drink. You're fine.
posted by wyzewoman at 5:13 AM on May 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by wyzewoman at 5:13 AM on May 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
I lived in Arizona in my youth and we hardly drank any water at all, there wasn't bottled water like you see today and the stuff that came out of fountains was more like bathwater than cool and refreshing. Also, it tasted terrible! I suspect that I was dehydrated from the age of 7 through the age of 20.
I drink a lot and I pee alot, and that's okay with me. If you get dehydrated, it leaves you open to more UTI's and kidney stones. Also, your skin is dry.
As mr. digits says, check your pee. It should be pale, pale yellow. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are.
Also, thirst isn't the best guage. Some people don't feel thirsty until they're totally dehydrated.
Aim for pale yellow pee and drink a little something throughout the day.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:56 AM on May 10, 2013
I drink a lot and I pee alot, and that's okay with me. If you get dehydrated, it leaves you open to more UTI's and kidney stones. Also, your skin is dry.
As mr. digits says, check your pee. It should be pale, pale yellow. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are.
Also, thirst isn't the best guage. Some people don't feel thirsty until they're totally dehydrated.
Aim for pale yellow pee and drink a little something throughout the day.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:56 AM on May 10, 2013
Lack of thirst does not mean lack of a need for water.
Whenever I've been really diligent about getting 6-8 glasses of water a day, I've found that I've been _more_ thirsty, not less. Like there's an inverse feedback loop somewhere in my brain, or else like my body went nuts for water and was like, "you mean I can have more of this? Then give me more already!"
posted by gauche at 6:47 AM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Whenever I've been really diligent about getting 6-8 glasses of water a day, I've found that I've been _more_ thirsty, not less. Like there's an inverse feedback loop somewhere in my brain, or else like my body went nuts for water and was like, "you mean I can have more of this? Then give me more already!"
posted by gauche at 6:47 AM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yeah, you don't need all that much water. Think about the environment in which humans evolved. If thirst were really the last-ditch "MAN YOU ARE SO DEHYDRATED" signal, our species would not have made it this far. There is no scientific basis for eight glasses a day.
posted by baby beluga at 7:10 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by baby beluga at 7:10 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
The eight glasses of water a day is a myth. At one extreme, if you are outside working in the hot sun, you may need significantly more. At another extreme, if you are inside on a cool day eating fresh fruit, soup, and other water rich foods, you may not need to drink a single drop of water all day.
That said, being properly hydrated is important, and thirst is not a very reliable indicator of how much water you need. For example, people too often die of heat related illness while working in the hot sun if they are not properly trained on how to hydrate.
The easiest way to check that you are hydrated is urine color. Be aware that some vitamin supplements make it brighter, though.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:20 AM on May 10, 2013
That said, being properly hydrated is important, and thirst is not a very reliable indicator of how much water you need. For example, people too often die of heat related illness while working in the hot sun if they are not properly trained on how to hydrate.
The easiest way to check that you are hydrated is urine color. Be aware that some vitamin supplements make it brighter, though.
posted by insectosaurus at 7:20 AM on May 10, 2013
Much like gauche, in the past few weeks I've been drinking more water, and find that I am MUCH MORE THIRSTY now than I ever was before when I was constantly mildly dehydrated. I used to really detest the act of drinking water unless I was super thirsty, but I've gotten used to just taking sips every few min while I work.
Also, for me at least, the super frequent peeing has normalized as I continue on the path to proper hydration; this is pure conjecture, but I liken it to watering plants - when soil is bone dry, water will run right through the pot, but if soil is already a little bit moist, more of the water is absorbed.
The purported benefits of drinking 8 glasses of water a day may be mostly bunk, but having been on both sides of the tracks, I much prefer feeling well hydrated. I can't place my finger on any specific changes or improvements, but I generally just *feel better* if I'm hydrated, and now it's easy to tell if I'm dehydrated...because I feel generally a little crappy. It certainly can't hurt to drink more water, so I figure why the hell not?
Oh! One thing I actually have noticed is that the little bit of cellulite I used to have on my ass and thighs completely disappeared a few days into my drinking more water experiment.
posted by Gonestarfishing at 7:28 AM on May 10, 2013
Also, for me at least, the super frequent peeing has normalized as I continue on the path to proper hydration; this is pure conjecture, but I liken it to watering plants - when soil is bone dry, water will run right through the pot, but if soil is already a little bit moist, more of the water is absorbed.
The purported benefits of drinking 8 glasses of water a day may be mostly bunk, but having been on both sides of the tracks, I much prefer feeling well hydrated. I can't place my finger on any specific changes or improvements, but I generally just *feel better* if I'm hydrated, and now it's easy to tell if I'm dehydrated...because I feel generally a little crappy. It certainly can't hurt to drink more water, so I figure why the hell not?
Oh! One thing I actually have noticed is that the little bit of cellulite I used to have on my ass and thighs completely disappeared a few days into my drinking more water experiment.
posted by Gonestarfishing at 7:28 AM on May 10, 2013
You know, suddenly drinking more is a sign of onset of diabetes. In other words, healthy people need less water than people with certain medical conditions. It is possible you are just healthier than a lot of people and simply don't need more water than you are currently getting.
If you don't have any of the signs of dehydration listed by various people here (dry skin, brown urine, etc) you are probably fine.
posted by Michele in California at 7:35 AM on May 10, 2013
If you don't have any of the signs of dehydration listed by various people here (dry skin, brown urine, etc) you are probably fine.
posted by Michele in California at 7:35 AM on May 10, 2013
This is where the 8 glasses of water per day figure came from.
posted by oceano at 8:10 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by oceano at 8:10 AM on May 10, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for your replies. So at least there's general consensus here and elsewhere that pee color is a good indicator of hydration status. How about peeing frequency? If you pee every hour, that would seem to indicate over-hydration. But someone here implied that every two hours also seemed abnormally frequent to her. Assuming no medical conditions such as enlarged prostate that increase the urge to pee, would peeing every 3-4 hours seem to be a typical frequency and indicative of a roughly normal hydration status?
posted by Dansaman at 8:18 AM on May 10, 2013
posted by Dansaman at 8:18 AM on May 10, 2013
There is a wide range of what is healthy. Some people might have a smaller bladder. Some people might sweat more than others. Some people have dry mouths. Some people might need to pee every 4 hours, some every 2.
Unless this is causing issues I wouldn't worry about it.
posted by fontophilic at 8:26 AM on May 10, 2013
Unless this is causing issues I wouldn't worry about it.
posted by fontophilic at 8:26 AM on May 10, 2013
So at least there's general consensus here and elsewhere that pee color is a good indicator of hydration status.
This is also not true. You can change your pee colour simply by taking vitamins. At best it is a very weak indicator. Useful if you are at Burning Man or some other place where actual honest to goodness dehydration is possible. Otherwise your pee colour is pretty meaningless (unless there is there blood in it in which case you have much larger problems).
There have been a spate of medical cases at marathons of people who make themselves sick by drinking too much water while running. The super hydration myth can actually be dangerous.
posted by srboisvert at 9:01 AM on May 10, 2013
This is also not true. You can change your pee colour simply by taking vitamins. At best it is a very weak indicator. Useful if you are at Burning Man or some other place where actual honest to goodness dehydration is possible. Otherwise your pee colour is pretty meaningless (unless there is there blood in it in which case you have much larger problems).
There have been a spate of medical cases at marathons of people who make themselves sick by drinking too much water while running. The super hydration myth can actually be dangerous.
posted by srboisvert at 9:01 AM on May 10, 2013
Do you eats lots of fruit and veg? They can actually provide water in your diet.
Like others have said, there's a range of what is healthy. Watch your body for signs of dehydration, headaches, constipation, dry skin, etc.
posted by inertia at 10:44 AM on May 10, 2013
Like others have said, there's a range of what is healthy. Watch your body for signs of dehydration, headaches, constipation, dry skin, etc.
posted by inertia at 10:44 AM on May 10, 2013
A good indicator for me is if my lips are dry or cracked. Within a few hours of increasing my water intake, my lips aren't as dry. Stop the chapstick for a few days and see how your lips are and it's a good indicator (at least for me) of if you need more water.
I'm a water drinker. I drink enough to use the restroom probably every 3 to 4 hours, which I believe is pretty normal. I monitor my urine color, however I have had chronic UTIs in the past - I think they are mostly gone but who knows - and I have had 2 kidney infections.
Your profile says you are "M" so I will assume male. Males don't get UTI's or Kidney infections as often simply because your uretra is longer and the bacteria from your fecal matter is further away from your urethra.
BUT, that doesn't mean you can't get them or get kidney stones. (Here is an Ask Men article on kidney stones.)
Drink enough water so you feel hydrated and urinate a few times a day. Drink extra water if it is hot or if you have dry skin/lip or eat salty foods. Drink water if you routinely drink tea (as I do) because the acids in tea are a diuretic and can dehydrate you. (Only applies for real tea, not herbal or flower teas - chamomile, mint, etc)
Overall I sip on water throughout the day and try to get through 2 water bottles (4, 8-oz cups) a day, along with some cups of tea, maybe a powerade, etc. (But I am a small female who only weighs 100lbs... so I need less water overall.)
posted by Crystalinne at 11:40 AM on May 10, 2013
I'm a water drinker. I drink enough to use the restroom probably every 3 to 4 hours, which I believe is pretty normal. I monitor my urine color, however I have had chronic UTIs in the past - I think they are mostly gone but who knows - and I have had 2 kidney infections.
Your profile says you are "M" so I will assume male. Males don't get UTI's or Kidney infections as often simply because your uretra is longer and the bacteria from your fecal matter is further away from your urethra.
BUT, that doesn't mean you can't get them or get kidney stones. (Here is an Ask Men article on kidney stones.)
Drink enough water so you feel hydrated and urinate a few times a day. Drink extra water if it is hot or if you have dry skin/lip or eat salty foods. Drink water if you routinely drink tea (as I do) because the acids in tea are a diuretic and can dehydrate you. (Only applies for real tea, not herbal or flower teas - chamomile, mint, etc)
Overall I sip on water throughout the day and try to get through 2 water bottles (4, 8-oz cups) a day, along with some cups of tea, maybe a powerade, etc. (But I am a small female who only weighs 100lbs... so I need less water overall.)
posted by Crystalinne at 11:40 AM on May 10, 2013
I used to pee about every hour on the hour, even waking up during the night to do so. I don't anymore. I don't think I have yet found the upper limit of improvement either, but I can sleep through the night again and can wait during the day, though I can't give you a time or average frequency for that off the top of my head.
So I really think the best indicator is whether or not you are suffering things like constipation, headaches, etc. If you aren't, then I think you are overthinking this. A healthy body just works different from an unhealthy one and it is hard to find a clear standard to compare yourself to.
I have spoken to someone who swore they had an iron stomach and could eat anything, only to later learn the had diabetes and were on pills to prevent water retention (of the swollen feet/congestive heart failure variety -- very serious bloating). I have also spoken to someone who swore they had no allergies to anything who drank vast quantities of coffee to wake up in the morning and a glass (or bottle) of wine to sleep at night. Uppers in the morning and downers at night so they can sleep is a typical treatment pattern for serious allergies.
We all just have one body. It will never work exactly like anyone else's and we are extremely unlikely to ever get to experience what it feels like to be someone else, physically. The best measure is absence of signs of dehydration and positive presence of actual health: You can get up in the morning without any real trouble, you don't have sleep issues, you can consistently do normal amounts of sustained mental and physical labor, etc. When I was super sick, I was not employable. When I got less sick, I finally managed to get a job, but every minute I was not at work went into taking care of myself so it was possible to get up and go to work.
If you are just able to go about your business, live your life, do your job, etc without Herculean effort and consant caretaking and compensating, you are probably fine, regardless of what the commercials/coworkers/whatever are repeating over and over.
posted by Michele in California at 11:48 AM on May 10, 2013
So I really think the best indicator is whether or not you are suffering things like constipation, headaches, etc. If you aren't, then I think you are overthinking this. A healthy body just works different from an unhealthy one and it is hard to find a clear standard to compare yourself to.
I have spoken to someone who swore they had an iron stomach and could eat anything, only to later learn the had diabetes and were on pills to prevent water retention (of the swollen feet/congestive heart failure variety -- very serious bloating). I have also spoken to someone who swore they had no allergies to anything who drank vast quantities of coffee to wake up in the morning and a glass (or bottle) of wine to sleep at night. Uppers in the morning and downers at night so they can sleep is a typical treatment pattern for serious allergies.
We all just have one body. It will never work exactly like anyone else's and we are extremely unlikely to ever get to experience what it feels like to be someone else, physically. The best measure is absence of signs of dehydration and positive presence of actual health: You can get up in the morning without any real trouble, you don't have sleep issues, you can consistently do normal amounts of sustained mental and physical labor, etc. When I was super sick, I was not employable. When I got less sick, I finally managed to get a job, but every minute I was not at work went into taking care of myself so it was possible to get up and go to work.
If you are just able to go about your business, live your life, do your job, etc without Herculean effort and consant caretaking and compensating, you are probably fine, regardless of what the commercials/coworkers/whatever are repeating over and over.
posted by Michele in California at 11:48 AM on May 10, 2013
Occasionally schizophrenics will develop a delusive compulsion to drink gallons of water a day, and some have killed themselves doing it, essentially by diluting themselves to death, though I'm not sure how to put the immediate cause more precisely.
Drinking water and consuming food containing water are not the only ways the body has of getting hydrated, since water is one of the major endpoints of metabolism (some desert-dwelling kangaroo rats can get by on metabolic water alone, apparently), and I've often wondered whether people who are trying to lose weight might not be partially sabotaging themselves by maintaining full hydration at all times and thereby eliminating any possible need to generate water through additional metabolic activity.
Whenever I've been really diligent about getting 6-8 glasses of water a day, I've found that I've been _more_ thirsty, not less. Like there's an inverse feedback loop somewhere in my brain, or else like my body went nuts for water and was like, "you mean I can have more of this? Then give me more already!"
That's very interesting, gauche; I'd say your body is maintaining optimal fluid balance by learning to anticipate the amount of water you will drink and preemptively getting rid of some to compensate, so that when you don't drink what it 'expects', you get thirsty, just as Dansaman could be said to be maintaining optimal hydration by having to immediately get rid of any more water than his body has learned to expect:
If I try to force myself to drink when I don't feel like drinking, the drink races right through my body incredibly quickly.
posted by jamjam at 12:06 PM on May 10, 2013
Drinking water and consuming food containing water are not the only ways the body has of getting hydrated, since water is one of the major endpoints of metabolism (some desert-dwelling kangaroo rats can get by on metabolic water alone, apparently), and I've often wondered whether people who are trying to lose weight might not be partially sabotaging themselves by maintaining full hydration at all times and thereby eliminating any possible need to generate water through additional metabolic activity.
Whenever I've been really diligent about getting 6-8 glasses of water a day, I've found that I've been _more_ thirsty, not less. Like there's an inverse feedback loop somewhere in my brain, or else like my body went nuts for water and was like, "you mean I can have more of this? Then give me more already!"
That's very interesting, gauche; I'd say your body is maintaining optimal fluid balance by learning to anticipate the amount of water you will drink and preemptively getting rid of some to compensate, so that when you don't drink what it 'expects', you get thirsty, just as Dansaman could be said to be maintaining optimal hydration by having to immediately get rid of any more water than his body has learned to expect:
If I try to force myself to drink when I don't feel like drinking, the drink races right through my body incredibly quickly.
posted by jamjam at 12:06 PM on May 10, 2013
I get all my health advice from Lewis Black, so here's his (audio probably NSFW) take on bottled water, and the idea that you're supposed to drink 8 glasses a day. Spoiler: he is mainly just angry about it.
For real though, the whole If You're Thirsty It's TOO LATE and OMG YOU LET YOURSELF GET DEHYDRATED AND YOU WILL TURN TO DUST thing is a little ridiculous. Drink when you're thirsty. [I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE IF YOU TURN TO DUST!]
posted by Cookiebastard at 12:25 PM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
For real though, the whole If You're Thirsty It's TOO LATE and OMG YOU LET YOURSELF GET DEHYDRATED AND YOU WILL TURN TO DUST thing is a little ridiculous. Drink when you're thirsty. [I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE IF YOU TURN TO DUST!]
posted by Cookiebastard at 12:25 PM on May 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you eat a diet with lots of fruits and veggies (vegetarian/vegan or very close to it), then you are getting lots of water from your food.
When I was on a very strict vegan diet I rarely had more than a couple glasses of water a day, and my pee was very light colored. When I changed back to the standard American diet with meat and processed foods again, I definitely needed a LOT more water throughout the day.
posted by Brody's chum at 1:39 PM on May 10, 2013
When I was on a very strict vegan diet I rarely had more than a couple glasses of water a day, and my pee was very light colored. When I changed back to the standard American diet with meat and processed foods again, I definitely needed a LOT more water throughout the day.
posted by Brody's chum at 1:39 PM on May 10, 2013
Every body and diet has an optimum water intake. Do what works for you. If you are healthy and everything is working fine, keep doing what you are doing.
The constant hydration people are just as annoying as the "8 glasses a day is a myth" people. Everyone's needs are different. Half a gallon is just a middle point that's probably good enough for most people.
posted by gjc at 8:09 PM on May 10, 2013
The constant hydration people are just as annoying as the "8 glasses a day is a myth" people. Everyone's needs are different. Half a gallon is just a middle point that's probably good enough for most people.
posted by gjc at 8:09 PM on May 10, 2013
I don't know how relevant this is to your life, but there's a well-known US Army statistic described in Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments volume 1 chapter 6 page 214 where runners allowed to drink freely would reliably end their races short 5-6% of their body weight in uncompensated fluid loss.
There's another study, also described in the same textbook (but in a place I can't find right now) where three groups of soldiers marched the same route on three different hydration schemes: one group was on "water discipline" (restricted fluid intake), another ad libitum (drinking freely), and a third was periodically stopped, put on scales, and instructed to drink until they had returned to their original weights. The water discipline group fared worst, the ad libitum group middling, and the scale-rehydrated group best of all.
So this might be where the "thirst is not a reliable indicator" thing came about. No idea whether it applies to random schmucks sitting around air-conditioned office buildings, though.
posted by d. z. wang at 8:21 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's another study, also described in the same textbook (but in a place I can't find right now) where three groups of soldiers marched the same route on three different hydration schemes: one group was on "water discipline" (restricted fluid intake), another ad libitum (drinking freely), and a third was periodically stopped, put on scales, and instructed to drink until they had returned to their original weights. The water discipline group fared worst, the ad libitum group middling, and the scale-rehydrated group best of all.
So this might be where the "thirst is not a reliable indicator" thing came about. No idea whether it applies to random schmucks sitting around air-conditioned office buildings, though.
posted by d. z. wang at 8:21 PM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
You may be drinking more than you think anyway, because coffee, tea, and so on ARE MOSTLY WATER and are hydrating, not dehydrating. (The idea that their diuretic effects could outperform the amount of water in them--if you're not consuming gallons each day--is a myth.)
posted by wintersweet at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by wintersweet at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is also not true. You can change your pee colour simply by taking vitamins. At best it is a very weak indicator.
According to my urologists, you should pay attention to the color of your urine. If you take a vitamin, it will change it short term. As close to clear as possible is optimum for kidney and bladder health is what I was told.
posted by SuzySmith at 4:25 PM on May 11, 2013
According to my urologists, you should pay attention to the color of your urine. If you take a vitamin, it will change it short term. As close to clear as possible is optimum for kidney and bladder health is what I was told.
posted by SuzySmith at 4:25 PM on May 11, 2013
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posted by mr. digits at 4:15 AM on May 10, 2013 [1 favorite]