Does Water Make You Smarter?

By: Becca King Reed

The Greenhouse Coworking

Working on a budget, contract or mountain of Monday morning emails?  Get a glass of water. Yep, that basic beverage can give you a real edge when it comes to brain power.

Your brain is about 75% water. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found even a slight degree of dehydration compromises your memory, mood and attention.  What’s “slight?”  Researchers say a 1-2% loss of water. That’s about what you’d lose through daily activities and bodily functions like breathing. Even this minimal stage of dehydration can mimic the effects of the “Moderate Cognitive Impairment,” experienced by those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Thirsty people performed 14 % faster on mental tests after drinking a pint of water, according to a report in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Scientists think our brains use a lot of energy sending us the message that we are thirsty. So get a drink, already. Once you drink, your brain can focus full power on thought.

The trick to maintaining optimal brain power is not to get thirsty. By then, you’re dehydrated. Happily, it’s easy. Experts say, drink a sip or two every hour or about 2 liters a day. Everything you drink counts, water, tea, coffee or juice, according to the Institute of Medicine. Even eating vegetables and fruit contributes to your liquid level. So, drink-up to smarten-up.

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