Adequate Hydration Can Help Your Hands and Feet Stay Warm In Winter

International Bottled Water Association | News Release | December 20, 2021

Editors please note: First day of winter is Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Adequate Hydration Can Help Your Hands and Feet Stay Warm In Winter

Alexandria, VA – Staying properly hydrated in winter months improves a person’s circulation, which can help keep hands and toes warm on chilly days. On this first day of winter, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is urging people to stay on top of their hydration needs and those of their loved ones for a variety of important health-related reasons, including staying warmer this winter.

“During the holiday season, bottled water provides the perfect beverage choice for those who want to avoid or moderate calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial colors or flavors, alcohol, and other ingredients,” says IBWA Vice President of Communications Jill Culora.

“Whether as a replacement for high-calorie beverages or as a nonalcoholic drink option, bottled water offers consumers a refreshing, hydrating, and convenient beverage that provides consistent safety, quality, and good taste. And with the variety of types available – from spring and purified, to mineral and sparking bottled water – consumers have many choices to suit their specific needs and preferences.”

Cold weather causes blood vessels to constrict, which slows down circulation, especially in people’s extremities. But adequate hydration dilutes blood and improves blood flow, which helps direct warmth throughout the body. (https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-feet-and-hands)

The body’s priority is to keep itself warm. It instinctively takes the warm blood from extremities and draws it towards the core in order to protect your lungs, heart, and other organs. The result is cold hands and feet and shivering to try and warm the body.  (https://doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/7-reasons-why-your-hands-are-always-cold-tips-to-keep-them-warm-during-winter-1958783)

Maintaining optimal hydration levels by drinking water in winter months can lead to the warming of one’s cold hands and feet. Try soothing your throat with lukewarm water–from the tap, filtered, or bottled—to maintain the body temperature. “If you need some extra motivation to drink water, try opting for some warm water and infusing it with fresh fruit,” says Louise Baillie S.A.C. Dip (Diet, Exercise & Fitness) on www.avogel.co.uk.

Up to 70 percent of our body is water and half of blood is water. When you’re well-hydrated, it’s easier for your heart to pump blood through blood vessels to the muscles. (https://www.physiciansveinclinics.com/blog/how-to-improve-circulation-in-your-legs) Drinking water and staying hydrated can also help you stay warmer in the winter months. Your body uses water to help maintain a temperature balance and when you aren’t adequately hydrated, your body can become cold. (https://www.parkview.com/community/dashboard/the-importance-of-staying-hydrated-in-the-winter)

How much water do you need?

How much water you need to drink depends on your weight, activity level, environment (the climate where you live), and the type of clothing you wear, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Recommendations vary, but the AHA follows guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which has determined the following as the adequate daily fluid intake for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate:

  • For women: About 11 cups (2.7 liters or about 91 ounces) total daily fluid intake (includes all beverages and water-containing foods).
  • For men: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or about 125 ounces) total daily fluid intake (includes all beverages and water-containing foods).

People should avoid waiting until they are thirsty to drink because they’re already dehydrated at that point.

“Maintaining adequate hydration at this time of year is tricky because the warning signs of dehydration can be subtle or not at all apparent. This is why it’s important to maintain good, healthy hydration habits year-round by regularly consuming water – from the tap, filtered, or bottled – throughout the day and night,” says Culora.

“In the winter, people are less likely to feel thirsty, so it’s important to be mindful about regularly consuming water in order to stay well-hydrated throughout the day,” says Culora. “If you drink a lot of water during the summer, that’s a good habit you should maintain during the colder months of the year.

“The simple act of breathing during the winter months can cause water loss. In addition, people tend to not notice sweat in winter months as it evaporates quickly due to the dry air.”

A 1-2 percent loss in body water can affect a person’s mood, energy level, and mental awareness, and yet they might not realize that dehydration is making them feel this way. A simple glass of water can help improve mood, energy, and cognition. Drinking adequate amounts of water also helps your skin, as the cold leaves it dry and parched.

“Like at any other point during the year, bottled water is an excellent choice for healthy hydration—helping consumers who want to stay hydrated or avoid calories, caffeine, sugar intake, artificial colors, or flavors and other ingredients,” says Culora. “Consumers continue to increasingly choose refreshing, healthy, hydrating, and convenient beverages such as bottled water that provide consistent safety, quality, and good taste.”

More information about bottled water can be found at www.bottledwater.org.

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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
703-647-4609
jculora@bottledwater.org

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.

In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.