Health
Not drinking enough water floods your body with harmful stress hormones
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A new study found that hydration is key when it comes to managing stress.
People who drink less than seven cups, or 1.5 liters, of water per day have a cortisol response to stress that is 50% higher than those who meet water intake recommendations.
Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) published the study in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
WEARABLE HYDRATION MONITOR COULD HELP PREVENT HEATSTROKE, SCIENTISTS SAY
Out of 62 healthy males and females, 32 participants were selected with both habitual low fluid intake and habitual high fluid intake.
Subjects who typically drank less than 1.5 liters of fluid per day were considered the “low-fluid” group, while the “high-fluid” group comprised people who drank the recommended amount of two liters for women and 2.5 for men.
New study reveals people drinking less than 1.5 liters of water daily show 50% higher cortisol stress responses than those meeting hydration recommendations. (iStock)
The participants’ fluid intake was monitored over seven days by testing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and hydration markers with blood and urine.
The study found that drinking too little water increased stress-related health issues for both men and women.
Professor Neil Walsh, study lead at LJMU’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, said in a press release that keeping a water bottle nearby during stress-related times can have potential benefits for your long-term health.
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“Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone and exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression,” said Walsh.
A study team member, Dr. Daniel Kashi, said in a release that “both groups felt equally anxious and experienced similar increases in heart rate during the stress test.”
An important observation was that poor hydration was associated with greater cortisol reactivity to the stress test. (iStock)
He added that “only the ‘low-fluid’ group showed a significant increase in saliva cortisol in response to the stress test.”
“Although the low-fluid group did not report being thirstier than the high fluid group, they had darker and more concentrated urine, clear signs of poor hydration,” said Kashi.
“An important observation was that poor hydration was associated with greater cortisol reactivity to the stress test. Exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress has been associated with poor long-term health,” Kashi added.
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Long-term dehydration can lead to more serious health issues such as kidney damage and failure, anxiety and depression, heart problems, and diabetes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Dehydration triggers the release of the vasopressin hormone, which puts pressure on the kidneys, making it harder to concentrate urine and manage electrolyte balance.
Researchers suggest that monitoring urine color is a good way for people to check their hydration status. (iStock)
“Vasopressin also acts on the brain’s stress-response cent[er]” influencing where it can release of cortisol,” according to the LJMU release.
The release added, “This dual role [of] vasopressin helps maintain blood volume and electrolyte balance but also increases cortisol.”
While researchers found that water intake recommendations should be followed, additional research and further long-term studies are needed.
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Researchers suggest that monitoring urine color is a good way for people to check their hydration status.
Light yellow urine color typically indicates good hydration.
“Being hydrated may help your body manage stress more effectively,” he said.
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For many, surviving cancer comes with an automatic new lease on life but other survivors continue to experience physical and emotional challenges long after treatment ends.
Yoga may significantly reduce the insomnia, fatigue and mood disturbances many survivors endure after remission, a recent clinical trial found.
Mood disturbance and insomnia are “two of the most pervasive and troubling side effects experienced by cancer survivors for years after completing adjuvant treatments,” the researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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They noted that both symptoms can substantially inhibit survivors’ ability to perform everyday activities.
The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, compared 204 cancer survivors receiving standard survivorship care alone with 206 survivors who paired standard care with the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program. Most of the participants were female breast-cancer survivors.
A clinical trial showed that yoga may help ease symptoms cancer survivors experience after treatments. (iStock)
YOCAS is a four-week intervention that incorporates two types of yoga – hatha, which is traditional and more active, and restorative, which is more passive. Both forms involve slow, gentle movements, breathing exercises and mindfulness, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which published a news release on the study’s findings.
Participants in the YOCAS group practiced yoga, on average, for 180 minutes each week over the course of three sessions.
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At the end of the trial, the YOCAS participants reported overall improvements to mood, anxiety and fatigue, while the standard care group did not.
“Additionally, improvements in insomnia stemming from YOCAS yoga may be mediated by changes in overall [mood disturbance] and fatigue,” the researchers wrote.
“[The study is] an important advance because it offers survivors, who are likely already managing multiple medications, a non-pharmaceutical solution for reducing four different side effects at once,” Fumiko Chino, MD, a cancer researcher and associate professor in breast radiation oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told ASCO.
Cancer survivors often continue to struggle with physical and mental-health challenges after the disease has been successfully treated. (iStock)
Timothy Pearman, Ph.D., director of supportive oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, told Fox News Digital he was not surprised by the results of the study.
“Yoga is one of the most widely studied and validated interventions for managing cancer-related fatigue, mood disturbance and overall physical health,” Pearman said.
Pearman said his wife, Jenny Finkel, is a yoga teacher and received her continuing education at Duke University’s integrative medicine program, which focuses on yoga for cancer patients.
“There are now a number of cancer-specific yoga teacher training programs nationwide,” Pearman said. “Yoga is a wonderful thing because it is very modifiable, meaning that even for people who have significant physical impairment, the exercises can be modified so that anyone can participate.”
He added that yoga is affordable, too, because “all you need is a mat and someone to show you how to do it.”
Osteoporosis, an increased risk of cardiac problems and issues with balance and stamina are other physical symptoms related to cancer treatment that yoga can help mitigate, Pearman said.
Cancer survivors who took part in an average of three yoga classes a week for four weeks reported reduced anxiety and fatigue, according to a recent study. (iStock)
Shari Botwin, a licensed clinical social worker based in Pennsylvania, is a thyroid-cancer survivor who specializes in working with victims of trauma, including cancer. She turned to yoga months after her diagnosis and told Fox News Digital the practice has been “transformative.”
According to Botwin, cancer survivors she’s worked with have dealt with emotional challenges that affect their healing process, including depression and survivor’s guilt. In addition to the physical relief yoga can provide, she said it can also offer “a supportive environment of peers, some of which are cancer thrivers.”
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Botwin added that yoga can help survivors who have lost parts of their body reframe their thinking.
“It supports us into moving into a place of self-compassion rather than shame and self-hatred,” she said.
Yoga can help cancer survivors who struggle with guilt or shame to find a community of understanding peers, according to some experts. (iStock)
Almost any type of exercise can be beneficial for cancer survivors, Pearman said. He advises his patients to stick to the type of exercise they enjoyed prior to cancer.
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He also noted that free yoga classes geared toward cancer survivors are widely available through various non-profit organizations.
Jill Biden says Joe’s debate performance made her wonder if he had a stroke
Former first lady Jill Biden revises her account of former President Joe Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate, now alleging she feared he was suffering a stroke. This new statement from the first lady contrasts sharply with her earlier public affirmations of his performance. Contributor Ben Domenech scrutinizes the timing and motivations behind this sudden shift.
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Former first lady Jill Biden has expressed her concerns about former President Joe Biden’s health status, noting that she feared he was having a stroke during a 2024 debate against President Donald Trump.
Biden struggled his way through the performance, with long periods of silence, confused facial expressions and stammered speech. In a recent interview with CBS, Jill Biden commented that she was “frightened.”
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “I mean, when I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke,’ and it scared me to death.”
JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE
A stroke occurs when there is bleeding in the brain or when blood flow to the brain is blocked, according to Mayo Clinic.
Identifying a stroke may be difficult, as symptoms can vary.
Stroke symptoms can include balance loss, weakness, slurred speech, face drooping, confusion and severe headaches. (iStock)
The American Stroke Association (ASA) identifies the following key warning signs, using the acronym “B.E. F.A.S.T.”
- B – Balance loss
- E – Eye (vision) changes
- F – Face drooping
- A – Arm weakness
- S – Speech difficulty
- T – Time to call 911
In a situation in which someone could be having a stroke, “the only” thing to do is to call 911, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital.
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The doctor emphasized other symptoms to watch for, including weakness on one side, slurred speech, difficulty processing information and confusion.
The ASA also warns that severe headaches can also be a sign of stroke.
At the first sign of stroke, 911 should be contacted immediately, as 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated. (iStock)
Siegel advised against giving the person an aspirin, as it could worsen bleeding in the brain if that is the cause of stroke.
With an ischemic stroke, that type of medication could be helpful.
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The ASA says 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated, which means earlier treatment leads to higher survival rates and lower risk of disability.
“In medicine, we use the term ‘time is brain,’” Siegel said. “This means that the faster you bring the patient to the emergency room, the faster they can receive emergency treatment if indicated to reopen the blocked artery in the brain, if there is one.”
Brain imaging should be done within the first several hours after seeking medical attention for a stroke, according to a top physician. (iStock)
Brain imaging can also be done on arrival at the ER, which should occur within the first several hours, Siegel said.
Anyone who is experiencing a stroke should not drive themselves to the hospital, according to the CDC. Instead, the person should get a ride or call 911 — as treatment begins inside the ambulance.
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About 80% of strokes are preventable, the American Heart Association states.
Prevention includes managing high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and other risk factors.
One in four survivors have another stroke within the next five years, per CDC data, so those at higher risk should prepare a prevention and treatment plan.
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Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
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