Most diabetics already know that elevated blood sugar levels can increase urination, which in turn makes you thirsty. Therefore, those with uncontrolled blood glucose can find themselves drinking gallons of water in a day.

But, did you know that there are reasons why you should be drinking more water?

The Dangers of Dehydration

Older diabetics are at risk of developing dehydration, especially when they have chronically elevated blood sugars.

Why is this?

Well, as you age and the longer you have hyperglycemia, the less responsive your body is to dehydration. The signals that make you realize you’re thirsty may not be as strong or even noticeable anymore. So, even though you are still drinking some during the day, your body becomes depleted quickly by frequent urination.

If you start to notice any of these symptoms, get some fluids in your body:

• thirst
• headache
• dry mouth
• eyes
• dizziness
• fatigue
• dark-colored urine

More severe dehydration can be identified by symptoms such as low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, confusion, and lethargy.

A Connection Between Water Intake and Hyperglycemia

There is also a correlation between how much water you drink and your likelihood of developing hyperglycemia. A research study by Dr. Ronan Roussel and co-authors published by Diabetes Care in 2011 found that people who drank more water were less likely to develop high blood sugar.

At the time of the study’s publication, the researchers didn’t know what the exact cause of the correlation. However, they theorized that more hydrated people produced less of a hormone, vasopressin, that triggers the body to retain water and has effects on glycogenesis. This is the production of glucose in the liver.

So, you might want to up your water intake on a daily basis for lowered glucose levels in the long-run.