Medical Dept. This episode I’m joined by my friend, who just happens to be a dialasis nurse. I wanted to emphasize hydration in a couple of episodes. This is especially important in hot weather, but really it is something that is important year-round.

It is technically possible to drink too much water, but this would be extremely rare. Your body is going to tell you you need to stop long before you drink too much.

Insufficient hydration can cause kidney failure even though it is not common. And anything that reduces circulation can also increase the risk for kidney disease. The main thing to remember about blood supply to the kidneys is, as in all organs, it is affected by cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death. Avoiding this is paramount.

The two main causes are diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure. And hydration is related to those.
Once in a while in the summertime, he treats an athelete who has been taking in a lot of protein and working out in the heat, like a football player who has been doing two-a-day practices. It is particularly important to hydrate when you are ingesting a high amount of protein.

Indirectly, body building might help prevent kidney disease, as it is very hard to get diabetes with high muscle mass, but my guest believes this is more about lifesyle. Body builders are more likely to be more healthy in general, reducing risk further.

The minimum amount of water we need per day? He thinks people who have ready access to water will drink enough because they drink when they are thirsty. He also has heard the number of one gallon, which is near to the guideline I’ve heard of one half-ounce for each pound of body weight, but he thinks the best way to make sure you are adequately hydrated is to just drink when you are thirsty.