Stressed? It Could Be a Sign You're Not Drinking Enough Water

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University found that drinking less than 1.5 liters of water daily raised stress hormones by 50%, suggesting that dehydration can add to your stress load
When you're dehydrated, hormones like vasopressin quietly kick in, signaling stress and triggering cortisol
Signs of dehydration go beyond thirst. Fatigue, headaches, sugar cravings, and dry skin are your body's early warning signs that it's running low on water and energy
It's also possible to drink too much water. Overhydrating dilutes minerals like sodium, causing fatigue, confusion, or nausea
Aside from drinking when you're thirsty, you can stay hydrated by consuming water-rich foods like watermelon. Adding a pinch of salt and a splash of lemon or organic juice to plain water helps improve electrolyte absorption

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ever notice how your heart races under pressure and your thoughts get foggy?
0:04.0	Could you be running low on water without realizing it?
0:07.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:10.5	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:16.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today
0:26.6	we're looking at how everyday dehydration can amplify your stress response and cloud your
0:32.1	thinking, plus practical ways you can hydrate more effectively without overdoing it. I'm Ethan, and I'll guide the
0:38.8	discussion so you can apply the findings to your routine right away. I'm Alara Sky. I focus on
0:45.2	natural health topics, and this conversation centers on a clinical study linking low daily
0:50.3	water intake with a 50% higher cortisol surge during a standardized stress test.
0:55.6	We'll also cover why thirst isn't a reliable gauge, how vasopressin ties dehydration to stress,
1:01.7	and the signs you can watch for before problems escalate.
1:05.0	Let's begin with the study. Researchers from Liverpool, John Moore's University monitored 32 healthy
1:12.6	adults for a week, separating them into two groups based on usual fluid intake. The low
1:18.5	intake group drank under 1.5 liters per day. The higher intake group met recommended levels,
1:25.1	about two liters for women and 2.5 liters for men.
1:28.3	After seven days of tracking with smart bottles, everyone completed the trier social stress test.
1:34.3	Hydration status wasn't guessed, it was measured.
1:37.3	The low intake group showed consistently darker, more concentrated urine and higher blood co-peptin,
1:43.3	a marker tied to water balance.
1:46.5	These are clear indicators that you're running dry even if you don't feel parched.
1:51.1	Despite similar thirst ratings between groups, the low intake participants were measurably
	...

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