Reader Question:
“I have a question about how much water should you have in a day as a diabetic and if you drink it in a sport bottle what size should it be? Also, if you put stuff in it like flavored stuff is that ok?”
Great questions. :)
Let’s chat about how much water you should drink per day if you’re a diabetic, how it can help, and how to get your quota in every day.
Water Keeps The Body Functioning
Here are some of the important things water does for your body:
- Carries nutrients and waste products
- Maintains the structure of molecules in the body
- Helps metabolic functions
- Helps minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose and other molecules perform their job
- Needed for body temp regulation
- Maintains blood volume, which has an influence over blood pressure and blood glucose
As you can see, the body needs it for quite a few important things and yet most of us don’t get enough water every day.
Water Helps Avoid The Side Effects Of Dehydration
By the time you feel like you have a dry mouth you are already dehydrated. That’s not good because dehydration can raise blood sugar levels.
Low fluid intake also increases vasopressin, a hormone associated with higher glucose production and insulin resistance.
So, don’t reach dehydration — there’s a time delay between your body’s water needs and your sensory awareness. Being thirsty is the first sign that your body is already lacking 1-2% body water.
That’s why we need to be sipping it all throughout the day. Otherwise we’re doing catch up or might suffer some of the consequences.
One surprising consequence of dehydration is more aches and pains. Water actually acts as a lubricant and cushion around joints and the spinal cord, so dehydration can contribute to increased inflammation and more aches and pains.
If you have been feeling tired and fatigued, disoriented, lack concentration, or feel grumpy. Or if you suffer from headaches, migraines or depression, ask yourself if you’re drinking enough water.
You may not relate these things to dehydration but sometimes that’s all it is. Look to the simple things for solutions first, because you might just be surprised how many things do have a simple solution.
Can Drinking Water Help Lower Blood Sugar?
The short answer: Yes.
Blood sugar is measured by milligrams per deciliter or millimoles per liter (depending where you live).
Quite simply, 60% of the body is made up of water and a large percentage of that is in our blood, which is a liquid. When you drink water it helps to increase your blood volume and ‘dilute’ the glucose in the bloodstream.
Drinking water also helps flush excess glucose through urine (glycosuria). It is important to stay hydrated to support healthy blood sugar levels.
If you imagine the thickness of honey or another sugary syrup, you will recall that it is very sticky, thick, and sludgy. This is exactly what happens to your blood when it is high in glucose and is why you can feel so tired and fatigued.
When your blood is thick and sludgy it’s not moving through your body as it should and there’s not enough oxygen getting through to all your cells either.
Drinking plenty of water helps with all these issues. So if you find your blood sugar levels are high, try drinking more water because it really does help.
So How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?
The general recommendation is at least 8 glasses per day, somewhere between 1.5-2.5 liters/ 50-90 oz per day works well.
Seems like a lot, and at first it can be a bit hard to get used to drinking that much. But when you do it consistently you do notice you feel better overall.
Best Water Bottles To Use
If you use a sports drink bottle it doesn’t really matter how big it is. When it’s empty, refill it!
But when it comes to choices, there are better quality bottles.
BPA free bottles are about the same price as regular sports water bottles and they are far better for our health. For example, Nalgene has a 1 quart/ 950 ml BPA free bottle for $10.42. Compared to the Nike Hang Tag sports water bottle at $8 for a 20 oz/ 600 ml bottle and it’s not BPA free.
“Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the lining of some food and beverage packaging”, it’s commonly found in many plastics. Although food standards claim that BPA is safe, studies have shown that BPA can in fact have negative consequences for our health.
It has been shown that small amounts of BPA can migrate from food containers and into foods and water, which is why being choosy is worth it – especially since our water sits in the bottle all day and sometimes in hot and cold environments.
So given the cost, go for a BPA free water bottle every time – you can pick them up from $2-10.
Can I Flavor Water?
We recommend drinking plain water if you can, but we understand many people can’t stand that. There are many things to drink besides water, and if you want to flavor your water with something then go for it!
Your best options for simple flavorings will be things like lemon or lime juice, or some fruit flavored herbal tea.
You could try something like Stur, which is a stevia sweetened fruit flavor specifically designed to add to water. There are quite a lot of water flavorings on the market. You really just want to look for the most natural options or you’ll defeat the purpose of drinking water in the first place.
Definitely avoid cordials and sugar filled fruit juices because that’s not going to help you with blood sugar control, which is the whole purpose of drinking more water – well an important purpose anyway.
Practical Tips To Get Enough Water Everyday
- Have a glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up.
- Every time you pass a water fountain, take a sip.
- Fill up a bottle and carry it with your everywhere you go so you can constantly sip on it throughout the day.
- Have a small glass before meals.
- Drink a bit more water before and after exercise.
- Just drink water!
So have you been drinking enough water everyday? Or now that you know it can help with blood sugar control, will you start drinking more?
Please share this info to help others – thanks!
Robert Martin
There has been so much controversy about using black, unsweetened coffee to help with my daily water requirement. I think this came from the general belief that coffee was “bad” for people. Some part of this came from some people’s initial reaction to caffeine. Another pointed out that coffee could act as a diuretic, which it can seem like, because it is putting more water in your system. For most people, these 2 impacts have proven to be temporary and easily adjusted to by the body. Ingesting caffeine too late in the day can affect many people’s sleep patterns. This last effect could be adjusted to by some people but not all and could be a reason to try decaffeinated. Over the last 2 or 3 years many credible medical sources have stated that black coffee can be unequivelantly counted towards one’s daily water requirement and there may be another reason to do so if it doesn’t affect your sleep. That reason would be that coffee is now considered “good for you” as it has proven to prevent a number of serious diseases and conditions.
Dr Jedha
Hi Robert, we understand plain water isn’t desirable to many people, as discussed in this podcast episode. Coffee can contribute to hydration and is linked to many science-backed health benefits, but it’s still an individual matter based on tolerance and timing.
Ron Lewisson
If I drink that much water I need to urinate more often which is a nuisance and can be an embarrassment!
Dr Jedha
Ron, You could try to tap it into the beginning and end of the day so that you can use the bathroom more frequently while at home and drink less while out and about – works for many people.
PAULINE HADA
I drink only 4 16.5 flavor water am I drinking a enough.i am on a low carb diet
Emily - Dietitian (MS, RD)
It may be enough, but it also depends on your size/weight and activity level. Two easy “check-in” methods are the color of your urine (should be a light straw color, if it’s dark you need more water) and noticing how you feel (if you feel thirst, it’s not enough water.)
Jacqueline Rosser
I am a diabetic who drinks a lot of water in any given day I consume at least 128 ounces sometimes more. I have a soda stream as I am hooked on the bubbles. I used to drink a lot of coke zero but switched to “better bubbles” . I add just a touch of Dysani for a bit of flavoring. Am I drinking too much? I am yrying to control my blood sugar levels as they have been high.
Emily - Dietitian (MS, RD)
You may be drinking so much water because your blood sugar is high, therefore instead of just chugging more water the better solution is to get to the root of your problem and lower your blood sugar!
Have you tried following a lower carbohydrate diet, if not I would encourage you to consider trying. Based on science a low carb diet has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to improve blood sugar control.
With that being said, 128 ounces may be a bit excessive, but it depends on your size. (Larger people need more water.) Activity level would also increase your hydration needs. Your doctor would be able to provide more specific recommendations, and may be able to order lab work to determine if you’re over hydrating.
Dana
I drink 4 32oz water bottles plus Few 16oz bottles of water a day and the doctors just told me to drink even more.
eve bower
One of the best articles I’ve read, TY! Along the lines of drinks beside water is Kool-aid ok do you think? Probably could be linked to answer about Crystal lite huh?
Jedha
Yes Eve, you’re exactly right. We wouldn’t encourage it because it contains artificial sweeteners; some research suggests that consuming artificial sweeteners is linked to negative health consequences so we prefer the stevia-sweetened beverages.
Tony
Hi Jedha,
I love sparkling Seltzer Waters. I’ve read some holistic post that they are not good for our teeth. Any thoughts on the subject? Thanks!
Jedha
There is some evidence that shows carbonated drinks do effect tooth enamel, though not entirely sure if it’s all types and how much of an impact they really have. I’d have to look into it more to get details.
Muzette Delos Santos
HI jedah, I’m from hawaii, where we have alot of rich foods that we eat…my a1c is 14….wow! Scary is right….doc is putting me on a drug called Korylm I think that is how to spell it…anyway I also was dignose with cushings syndrome. Do u know much about that?
Jedha
Hi Muzette, I don’t know a great deal except that it causes high levels of cortisol, which produces the disease. Since cortisol is a hormone, it is directly related to insulin and can influence blood sugar. Did your doctor say the two could be related? Have you been referred to a specialist or given advice on what to do?
If you have questions, please ask your doctor about them. They are the best ones to guide you on what to do.
Charlie
Hi Jedha Any input on magnesium spray or oil absorbed thru skin. Suppose to be very good for diabetics.
Jedha
Hi Charlie, yes magnesium spray is very good. Many diabetics get muscle cramps and it helps a great deal with that. Not to mention, that many diabetics are magnesium deficient and could use a general boost too. There’s a good article on magnesium over here.
Nabina
Good tips
Jedha
Glad you found them helpful Nabina.
Jay
Hello. A year ago my A1c was at 6.5 with glucose 110 fasting, this year A1c was 6.8 glucose of 139 fasting. I did make changes in the year, such as limiting sweets, completely stopped sodas etc. I admit from Thanksgiving up to end of January my sweet intake was alot. What can i do to reduce my a1c and glucose? I have been increasing my daily water intake. Any other suggestions?
Jedha
Hi Jay, If you take those past 3 months into consideration then you likely have the answer as to why your results are currently higher than they were. You probably just need to get back on track, limit sweets, reduce carbs, eat whole natural foods, not processed foods, drink water and exercise. Give it time and it will come down again!
Sharon McDonald
My morning blood sugar reading are climbing up. I’ve tried cinnamon and Garmin to record my steps in walking. My MD gave me 90 days to see if I could get my blood sugar reading down. My MD says I have Dawn Phenomenon.
I started drinking more water last week and so far I haven’t notice a decrease in my a.m. blood test. I get my HGBA1C tested on Tuesday and I’m afraid that they are going to add a new medication . I currently take 1000 mg a.m. @ breakfast and 1000 mg at supper.
Jedha
Take a read of these Sharon, you might find them helpful https://diabetesmealplans.com/7212/how-to-lower-morning-blood-sugar/
ttps://diabetesmealplans.com/326/why-is-blood-sugar-high-in-the-morning/
Also, are you recording what you eat in a food diary? That will likely help reveal a few things.
Lisa
Thank you for your article. I have a multitude of problems of which I just found out. Well I knew and kept telling my doctors something just isn’t right….on and on.. Anyway I am desperately trying to learn this “new language” and fast I am scared for my life to say the least, I certainly don’t want to die a horribly painful death. uuugh. So I am so lost…I have been reading everyday since last Monday trying to figure out what to do. What I’ve really learned is how gross are the things we put in our bodies, its a CRIME.
Jedha
Very true Lisa. One of my favorite quotes is from a researcher named Barry Groves “Man is the only animal smart enough to make it’s own food and the only one dumb enough to eat it”
It’s a good one right?!
Just leave questions on the blog if you have them, we always answer :)
Casey
I’m wondering is Crystal light good to put in water to make the water tast better?
Jedha
The one we generally prefer is Stur, or ones similar to it as they don’t contain artificial sweeteners like Crystal Light does. Always read the ingredients label.