(AURN News) — Feeling more stressed than usual? The problem may not be your workload — it could be how much fluid you drink.
A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology looked at 62 healthy adults. Researchers divided them into two groups: 16 who habitually drank fewer fluids and 16 who drank more. Fluid intake included not just water but other beverages.
To measure stress, participants were put through the Trier Social Stress Test, which puts people under pressure with tasks such as public speaking or solving math problems.
Cortisol was higher in the group with lower fluid intake. The stress hormone is helpful in small doses but harmful when elevated too often. It can help in the moment, but if it stays high repeatedly, it can wear the body down.
“These novel findings show greater cortisol reactivity to acute psychosocial stress in adults with habitual low fluid intake and suboptimal hydration, which may influence long-term health,” the researchers wrote.
The study suggests that staying hydrated may help blunt stress reactions. Carrying a water bottle during the day could make a difference when pressure builds.
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