If you think drinking a few glasses of diabetic-friendly smoothies or sugar-free carbonated drinks is enough for your body’s needs, think again. As a diabetic, you should know that drinking plenty of water is very important to your health. Below are top reasons why you need to drink more water.

Protects Against Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose level) puts you at risk of developing complications from diabetes. These complications include cardiovascular diseases (hypertension and heart problems), kidney diseases (diabetic nephropathy), eye problems (diabetic retinopathy), skin problems (non-healing wounds and frequent bacterial and fungal infections), as well as nerve damage (neuropathy especially in the distal extremities).

Drinking plenty of water protects you against hyperglycemia. In a study conducted on 3,165 individuals (both men and women) with normal blood glucose levels, it showed that those who drank more water (over 34 ounces) each day are less prone to the development of hyperglycemia, compared to those individuals who drank only about 16 ounces of water or less each day.

Protects Against Dehydration

Dehydration puts diabetics at a serious risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis. This is caused by the buildup of naturally-occurring acids to accumulate in the body, leading to organ damage and failure, comatose, and even death.

Drinking plenty of water will protect you against dehydration. Not only will it keep you hydrated, but it will also help flush these toxins out from the body and reduce your risks of developing diabetic ketoacidosis.

Protects Against High Blood Sugar Levels

Water is needed to flush out excess sugar from the blood, so if you don’t drink plenty of water, the sugar level in your blood becomes more concentrated, resulting in hyperglycemia. Since your body will need water to flush the excess sugar out, it will draw water from other sources, putting you at risk of dehydration and diabetic acidosis.

You can help control your diabetes by drinking plenty of water, at least 1.6 to 2 liters per day.