Is Dehydration Making Your IBS Worse?
Water is the stuff of life. On average, the human body is composed of 60% water. Water is needed for every physiological function. It supports brain and cognitive health, muscle and joint health, absorption of nutrients and removal of waste byproducts, and digestive function (to name just a few).
For anyone living with chronic illness, it would be wise to reflect on water consumption habits to make sure the daily requirements are being met in order to support an optimal state of health.
Even mild levels of dehydration can have significant effects on digestive health, especially for those living with IBS and other functional gut disorders.
Let’s have a look at how dehydration might impact your digestive health and contribute to bloating, gas, stomach pain, cramping, and altered bowel habits.
Saliva production decreases in a dehydrated state. Saliva contains enzymes that start to break down carbohydrates and fats as we chew food. If digestion is impaired anywhere along the digestive tract, from the mouth to the colon, this can cause the food we eat to ferment. Gas is a byproduct of fermentation. Impaired digestion also affects the absorption of essential nutrients and the balance of the microbiome.
Not drinking enough water impairs the stomach’s ability to produce enough hydrochloric acid. The acidic environment of the stomach is responsible for initiating the breakdown of protein as well as the absorption of vitamin B12 – a vitamin essential for making new red blood cells which carry oxygen to your digestive organs and the rest of your body.
The stomach has a thick layer of mucus that creates a barrier to protect its lining from its acidic contents. Dehydration can affect the integrity of this barrier and make one susceptible to development of ulcers or opportunistic bacterial infection from H. pylori.
Water is the solution that carries digestive enzymes from the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas into the small intestine where it chemically breaks down the food we eat. Without these enzymes, food breaks down by way of fermentation and putrefaction.
The small intestine releases watery secretions that contain enzymes to aid in digestion of food.
The small intestine has a mucosal barrier that protects its lining from toxic substances that may be present in our food (like pesticides or chemical preservatives) as well as from harmful bacteria and viruses. Not drinking enough water can decrease the resiliency of this barrier making us more susceptible to illness and problems with absorption of nutrients.
Water is needed to dissolve nutrients from food so it can pass into the bloodstream and be used by body cells.
Water is the solvent in which waste and toxic byproducts are removed from the body. If waste isn’t removed, it can build up in body tissues causing inflammation.
Water helps to regulate bowel movements. It lubricates the digestive tract so food can move through it with ease. Dehydration equals constipation.
Did you know that the Dieticians of Canada recommends 2.2L of water per day (9 cups) for women and 3L per day (12 cups) for men?
In my practice, I find that many people struggle to even meet the outdated recommendation of 8 cups of water per day…
One survey looked at 1,730 members of a Canadian community and their water consumption. They found that only 7.5% of the participants drank 8 cups or more of water each day! The median amount of water consumed was a mere 4 cups per day – less than half of what is recommended to support optimal health and wellbeing.
If this survey reflects even remotely close to the daily water habits of Canadians, it’s no wonder there is an epidemic of chronic illness running rampant in our country. And no wonder digestive complaints are on the rise.
If you suffer from gas, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, I encourage you to look at your water consumption. Track your water intake for a day. There are multiple apps available to help you do this! Are you meeting your daily intake requirements?
If you’re not, and you want some quick ideas on how to bring more water into your life, download my free guide that covers 5 mistakes that make bloating worse (including dehydration) and what you can do instead.
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