We all know how important it is to drink water during the day. Few, however, are the ones who fully understand the importance of this commodity and the benefits of hydration on health and diabetes control.
When the body is dehydrated, the blood loses a lot of water and the concentration of glucose increases. This increases sugar levels. Even mild dehydration can have a noticeable impact on diabetes regulation.
Furthermore, the reverse is also true, i.e. increased blood sugar levels cause dehydration! How is this done? If blood sugar levels are elevated for hours (usually when the sugar is above 180 mg/dL), our kidneys try to remove excess glucose circulating in the blood through the urine. But along with glucose, water is removed. This explains the excessive thirst when we are hyperglycemic for many hours!
In people with diabetes, mild dehydration - a condition you sometimes don't feel - can increase blood sugar levels by up to 50 to 100 mg/dL. If someone is constantly dehydrated daily, they may need more insulin than if they were well hydrated.
In addition, adults who drink up to half a litre of water a day (about two glasses) are more likely to develop pre-diabetes, meaning they have fairly high blood sugar and are at risk of developing the disease itself in later years. Although the link between water consumption and sugar levels has been confirmed, it has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt that it is a little water that causes pre-diabetes.
In conclusion, adequate water consumption is important for the proper functioning of the human body. And as always take care of your water quality with a water filter for reduced strain on your body.