Many know drinking water is vital for health, but a new study by the National Institutes of Health in the journal eBioMedicine has discovered that hydration can potentially be a preventive approach to prolonging a disease-free lifespan.
Learning what preventive measures can slow down the aging process is “a major challenge of preventive medicine,” the authors said in the study. That is because an increase in “age-dependent chronic diseases” is emerging as the world’s population lives longer.
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The National Institutes of Health tested their theory that optimal hydration may slow down the aging process in humans.
According to the study, the results linked hypohydration biomarkers, including higher serum sodium and copeptin and low fluid intake, with adverse health effects and increased mortality risk.
“Decreased hydration is one of the main factors that elevate serum sodium. The study’s results reveal that decreased hydration may accelerate aging,” the authors said. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, interventional trials are needed to prove this link.