They generally agreed that abstaining is healthiest, but that for most people, a modest level of drinking doesn’t carry significant risk. And to top it off, both Zeitlin and Rumsey explain, drinking alcohol will also make you urinate more often. Studies have also linked energy drinks to serious side effects, including anxiety, rapid and irregular heartbeat, kidney injury seizures, and death. A common go-to choice for a quick, healthy meal or snack on the go, high protein shakes and smoothies can actually produce dehydrating effects.

How Alcohol Impacts the Gut Microbiome

“I never would recommend to someone, ‘Go ahead and drink wine, even if you don’t like it, because you’re going to be less likely to have a heart attack,’” Li said. Meanwhile, a study published last month showed that deaths related to excessive drinking are rising in the United States, especially among women. While very high doses of caffeine can increase urinary output, which causes you to lose more water, low to moderate doses of caffeine have not been linked to this side effect. Eating too many processed meats could contribute to high salt intake, which is linked to poor hydration status. Fast food, like French fries, cheeseburgers, and fried chicken, is very high in added salt, which can dehydrate you if consumed in large amounts. In addition, consuming too much soda can cause kidney issues, weight gain, metabolic imbalances, cardiovascular problems, and poor dental health.

Start by drinking water

Milk is also a good choice to help you rehydrate, assuming your hangover hasn’t put you off dairy. The same 2016 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk was more hydrating than water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, and a handful of other common beverages [6]. Drinks that contained electrolytes—milk and oral rehydration solutions, for example—were more hydrating after two hours compared to water. [6] In other words, subjects does liquor dehydrate you peed less relative to their fluid intake two hours after consuming these drinks compared to water. But once you introduce alcohol into your system, you urinate more, and the mechanism that normally prevents excessive urination—anti-diuretic hormone—is inhibited, which can lead to dehydration. “If you are looking to find a drink that is less dehydrating, try choosing ones that you would enjoy over a longer period of time,” Richardson says.

What Type of Alcohol Dehydrates You the Most?

• Sipping on one whisky all evening will likely mean you ingest less alcohol overall than three or four standard glasses of wine.
• How long it takes to rehydrate after drinking depends on how much alcohol you have consumed and how much fluid volume and electrolytes your body lost.
• Electrolyte imbalance can exacerbate dehydration and worsen the unpleasant aftereffects of drinking alcohol, including headaches, low energy, muscle aches, and poor sleep.
• Without enough ADH, your kidneys produce more urine, which can lead to dehydration.

In the summer months, many of us sweat far more than other times of the year, predisposing us to the irritating symptoms of dehydration. Chronic dehydration linked to alcohol consumption has been shown to have adverse effects on cognitive function. When the body is dehydrated, it can lead to a reduction in blood flow to the brain, which can impair cognitive function and increase the risk of memory problems and other cognitive impairments.

Best drinks for hydration

It impairs your kidneys’ ability to filter blood and makes them work harder. Alcohol also causes hormonal imbalances that negatively affect kidney function. The more you drink in a single setting, the more dehydrated you will become.

Yet one domestic brewery hopes to alter that (if slightly) with a thirst-quenching beer that, admittedly, doesn’t go so far as to claim to actually hydrate you, which would go against all experiential wisdom about alcohol. To make meeting your hydration needs easier, you can add flavor to your water by using refreshing water additives like lemon juice, berries, and fresh herbs. Six mg/kg of caffeine equates to 409 mg of caffeine for a 150-pound person, which exceeds the safe upper limit of 400 mg per day. A recent study identified 15 food categories representing over 50% of total dietary sodium intake for American adults, with pizza being number one.

How to rehydrate after alcohol consumption

“The darker the beverage or higher the alcohol by volume (ABV) concentration, the more dehydrating it can be,” says New York City-based addiction specialist Aaron Sternlicht, LMHC, CASAC. There’s less air pressure, so alcohol enters your bloodstream even more rapidly. If you’re drinking at altitude, you should probably start out with less alcohol than usual.

Types of saunas

The best drink to avoid dehydration is electrolyte-enriched water. Electrolytes play a crucial role in facilitating fluid absorption into the body, and electrolyte imbalance can cause dehydration despite drinking plenty of fluids. Some of the most dehydrating drinks include sodas, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened drinks, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and sports drinks.

• “The liver’s job is to filter circulating blood and destroys toxic substances, including alcohol,” she says.
• Stick to beer and wine to mitigate any dehydration you may experience.
• Understanding the effects of alcohol on dehydration and how it can impact your health is crucial to making informed decisions about your drinking habits.
• It is important to note that the impact of alcohol-related dehydration on kidney function is not limited to chronic heavy drinking.
• Some people may find that drinking water or sports drinks can help to alleviate the symptoms of a hangover, while others may prefer to rest and allow their body to recover naturally.

Does Alcohol Dehydrate Your Skin? Your Muscles?

Coconuts are a rich source of electrolytes, making coconut water an excellent beverage to promote hydration. Alternatively, you can make your own electrolyte drink or add electrolytes to carbonated water if you enjoy the thirst-quenching illusion of carbonated soft drinks. Not only are fruit juices packed with sugar, which contributes to dehydration, but fruit juice also tends to lack electrolytes and is highly acidic, which can cause intestinal irritation in sensitive individuals. You can tell you are dehydrated if you are feeling thirsty, tired, peeing less, or showing signs such as muscle cramps, dizziness, headache, or unsteadiness.