Drinking filtered water doesn’t give you enough water?

IIf you’re like us and you love nothing more than scrolling through TikTok about health and beauty, you’ve probably come across a lot of conversations about whether drinking plain water is good enough for you — or whether drinking water is good enough for you. Should you add electrolytes, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of citrus, or something else.

Of course, we know that drinking water is necessary for every function of the body. The question, however, is: Would we benefit even more from drinking water with fewer added ingredients? In a recent TikTok video, @thetigerlilyxx claims that just drinking water is often not enough. Instead, they suggest that you need other minerals to replenish your body with key nutrients that can be obtained by supplementing the drink with ingredients like lemon, lime or Himalayan sea salt.

To make sure we’re clear (pun intended) about what we Candlestick drinking, we spoke with functional medicine physician Jill Carnahan, MD, Your Functional Medicine Specialist and author of Unexpectedwho revealed that plain drinking water is absolutely great, but adding some extra ingredients can be helpful for certain populations, as needs can vary from person to person.

@thetigerlilyxx Let my body speak ❤️ I take 3 herbal supplements daily: Moringa, nettle, ashwagandha. Visit l!nk in my blog for you #medicinewoman #plantmedicine #thehsecoach #wellnesscoach #virtualwellnesscenter #lifestyle #herbalistsoftiktok #oddlysatisfying #wellnesstips ♬ Under The Influence – Chris Brown

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According to a doctor, drinking water often does not provide you with enough water?

According to Dr. Carnahan, drinking 100% filtered water is good for most people’s health. However, adding additional ingredients can be beneficial in some cases.

For starters, your body can benefit from an electrolyte supplement (and not just plain water) if you’re under a lot of stress or have a hormonal imbalance. “The adrenals are a stress response organ, and they are responsible for regulating and [producing] mineralocorticoids are also involved in electrolytes [and influence salt and water balances],” said Dr. Carnahan.

This means that any disruption affecting your adrenal glands can have a negative impact on your hydration levels. “Basically, if we are under extreme stress or for some reason our adrenal glands are not working properly, it is important to add electrolytes, especially sodium, to our water. because drinking only free water can actually cause hyponatremia, or low sodium. and that can lead to trouble if you sweat too much,” says Dr. Of course, these cases are few and far between.

“Additionally, infrared sauna use, over-exercising, and heavy sweating also cause loss of salts and electrolytes,” Dr. Carnahan adds. that’s why she recommends giving water a bit of a mineral and electrolyte boost that contains sodium.

Plus, if you’re dealing with an upset stomach or other gastrointestinal issues that can lead to diarrhea or loss of nutrients, it’s important to get more than just plain water. . “If for some reason you have abdominal problems like gastroenteritis or diarrhea, you will lose more potassium through the intestinal tract, and in that case, it is best to take a supplement,” she says. Add magnesium and potassium to the water to make up for the potassium lost through the intestines.

So what Candlestick are we drinking instead of plain water?

So you might ask, what is Dr. Carnahan’s drink of choice? Well, it’s water… with a twist. “When you drink mineral-rich water, like San Pellegrino or other European mineral waters, you are drinking an alkaline product. The minerals in these drinks can help maintain healthy bones, she says, which is only true with mineral water with or without carbonated. (And helps make a case for ordering fancy, non-free bottled water on the menu.) “With that being said, I’m not a fan of flavored water or fizzy drinks that simply don’t have them. mineral.”

So, how can you increase your water intake if you find plain water completely unappealing? “If someone doesn’t like the taste of clean water, adding lemon or lime or cucumber is a perfectly good substitute,” says Dr. Carnahan. Congratulations.

One RD shares the best hydrating foods to keep your hydration levels in check: