Brain Fitness for Seniors

It’s a scorcher of a summer here in my home state of Texas, with triple digit  temperatures being common so far this year.   And when heat hits, hydration becomes more of  an issue for brain function.

The brain is made up of more than 65% water, and when we get even slightly dehydrated, cognitive function suffers.   The brain cells actually lose volume, and the signals don’t travel as well through the neurons, affecting our attention, focus, short term memory, and other functions.  Headaches are common, and the reduction in brain volume increases the risk of concussion should we have the bad luck to take a tumble while less than adequately hydrated.

High summer temperatures aren’t the only reason for becoming dehydrated;  as we age, the part of the brain that regulates thirst often begins to malfunction, so that it no longer tells us when we’re thirsty and need to drink.  We also need need to pay special attention to fluid intake whenever we exercise,  run a fever, sweat profusely, suffer from diarhea, or eat high amounts of salt and sugars.  And the more we weigh, the more water we generally need.

So, how much water should we be drinking?
That’s a tough question; the exact amounts vary from person to person, and situation to situation.  For younger folks, “drink when you’re thirsty” is the best guide, but when the thirst trigger may be untrustworthy, the old standby of “8 8oz glasses a day” is still a decent guideline.  It’s no longer considered a hard and fast rule, but iff  adjusted  for your climate, activity levels and so on, “8 glasses a day”remains a good approximation of what most healthy adults should be drinking .

And  remember that almost all  fluids  (except for alcohol ) help with hydration, as do foods that contain high fluid levels, like many fruits and soups, for instance. (Just watch the salt levels in the soups!)

Another good approach is to keep a water (or tea, or juice) bottle close at hand so we can sip on it throughout the day.   Form the habit of regularly taking drinks of water, and you’ll be far less likely to wind up suffering from mild dehydration!

One final caution:
it is possible (though uncommon) to *overdose* on water.   It’s most often seen in athletes who chug water after a high intensity event or workout, or occasionally in fraternity/radio contest stunts.  It’s not normally a risk for people drinking ordinary amounts of water, but still, there is a limit on how much water you should make yourself drink!