Cellular Hydration: Drinking Water Isn’t Enough

If you’re a health-conscious individual, you’re probably keenly aware of your water intake, ensuring proper hydration levels in your body. However, you might not be aware of your cellular hydration state or just how hydrated the cells in your body may be. 

Hydration at the cellular level is important, and it is apart and different from the body's hydration that we usually measure by the glasses of water we drink or the number of times we frequent the restroom. 

We’ll explain the importance of cellular hydration, what can cause cellular dehydration, and what you can do to keep your cells fully hydrated. First, let’s talk about why you should be thinking about your cell function in the first place.

Why Should We Consider Our Cells?

When we think about our overall health and wellness, most don’t instantly think of our cells, but we should. Our cells are foundational for every tissue, process, and activity in our bodies. When cells function healthfully, our bodily systems are balanced and function normally. 

When our cells lose their function or function improperly, a trickle-up effect compromises tissues, organs, and systems. Our cells control how our bodies age. As cells age, they begin to naturally lose function, translating into energy loss and even age-related illnesses. 

Thankfully, we aren’t without ways of helping support our cells and maintain proper cellular health. One of the most effective ways we can support our cells is by ensuring proper cellular hydration. 

What Is Cellular Hydration?

Simply put, cellular hydration is having enough fluid inside the cells to hold their shape and function properly. Cells are malleable, and their membranes can become weak with age. Cellular shrinkage can interfere with proper cell function and cause cells to malfunction. 

Because cells weaken with age, it’s even more important to focus on cellular hydration as we age. 

How Do Cells Stay Hydrated?

The process works by osmosis. Cell membranes are semipermeable, which means water can easily pass into and out of the cell. Water is transferred in and out of the cell when an osmotic gradient forms. 

An osmotic gradient occurs when concentrations of certain solutions (like water) become unbalanced on either side of the gradient. For cellular hydration, this can look like having too little water on the outside of the cell (called the extracellular space) compared to the amount of water inside the cell (called the intracellular space). 

When this happens, water is pulled from one space to the other. So, if the extracellular space needs water, the body will pull water from the intracellular space to the extracellular space to accommodate it. 

Ideally, you’ll have enough water in your body to encourage water to flow into your cells to keep them hydrated. It probably goes without saying, this isn’t always what happens. Sometimes, our cells don’t get the proper hydration they need, even though we may feel fully hydrated ourselves. 

Why Is Cellular Hydration Important?

In addition to helping your cells keep their shapes so they can function properly, your cells need water to actually support the processes they need to carry out. One of the main uses of water in the cell is the creation of ATP. 

ATP Is the energy molecule of the cell. The mitochondria in your cells use water to generate ATP. ATP is then shuttled to other organelles within the cell to help effectuate cellular processes. 

What Causes Cellular Dehydration?

There are numerous reasons why you might experience cellular dehydration. The most common are:

• Increased fluid loss
• Decreased fluid intake
• Your water source isn’t mineral rich

Determining the underlying causes can be a bit trickier to pinpoint. You might experience increased fluid loss through activities, sweating, or swimming in salt water. You may take in fewer fluids if you feel sick, have a fever, are dealing with a chronic illness, or have an impaired thirst sensation. 

If you rely mostly on tap water for your water intake, you may not get the proper amount of electrolytes your body needs to function. Much of today’s tap water is filtered to the degree that important minerals have been removed. 

Regardless of why you may experience cellular dehydration, there are simple ways to fix it and support your cells' natural hydration levels. 

What Are the Dangers of Cellular Dehydration?

Cellular dehydration is a big deal, and not just because your cells may flatten and lose some function. When that function is lost, it can lead to disease. Researchers have found a link between cellular hydration levels and cardiovascular disease and even a link between intracellular dehydration and high blood pressure.

Keeping your cells hydrated can help reduce your risk of developing these conditions, in addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

How Can I Improve Cellular Hydration?

It’s more than just drinking enough water. The quality of water is important, too. If your cells are dehydrated, you may not be able to tell. 

These three tips can help you keep your cells healthy and fully hydrated. 

1. Drink plenty of quality water. 

Your local water provider should be able to give you access to a profile of nutrients in your water. If not, you can take a sample to a private testing facility to determine what’s in your drinking water. If your tap water doesn’t contain enough minerals, you can supplement with electrolytes or mineralized water. 

How much water you need depends on several factors: your age, sex, activity level, health, medications, diet, and the current temperature and climate. Most experts agree that 15.5 cups of water for healthy men and 11.5 cups of water for healthy women is optimum.

This number should be modified if you:

• Exercise and sweat 
• Are in a hot, dry climate
• Take medications that may cause dehydration 
• Eat a diet that contains a lot of salt

Your total water intake also includes foods containing water, which may impact your total number of cups daily. A good rule of thumb? If your urine is clear, you’re drinking enough water. 

2. Add In Electrolytes

Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride play an important role in regulating the water levels inside and outside your cells. Most of the time, you’ll get the electrolytes you need through your diet. 

It’s possible to lose electrolytes through strenuous activity, like sports or endurance training, or sweating heavily. If you participate in these activities, you may need to take an electrolytesupplement to help restore your levels of electrolytes and ensure proper cellular hydration. 

3. Maintain a Hydrating Diet

Because the water in the foods you eat counts toward your total daily water intake, it’s important to make sure you’re eating plenty of foods that contain water. The best place to start is with fruits like watermelon and apples and vegetables like cucumbers. 

Filling your plate with plenty of fruits and vegetables has health benefits over and beyond keeping your cells hydrated and can even help you maintain a healthy weight. If you become dehydrated after you eat, consider lowering your sodium intake or compensating by drinking additional water with high-sodium meals. 

Keeping your cells hydrated is one piece of the cellular health puzzle, but taking a cell-supportive supplement is another way you can increase your cellular health. 

Supplements for Cellular Health

To keep your cells healthy, it’s important to understand what happens to them as they age. 

Aging cells decline in three ways that can alter overall health and wellness.

1. Cell membranes become weak.Cell membranes protect your cells from external aggressors, give them their shape, and play a major role in their hydration levels.

1. Mitochondrial function declines. The mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, cranking out ATP so our cells can have the energy they need for their cellular processes. As we age, mitochondria become sluggish, translating into sluggish bodily systems.

1. Inflammatory cells increase. Cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory cells, increase with age. These cells are a key driver in aging, and the more we have of them, the more chance we have to experience disease and dysfunction. 

If you’re looking for an option to support cellular health and lower your levels of cytokines, C15:0 is the solution. 

What Is C15:0?

C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that science supports as the first essential fatty acid to have been discovered in over 90 years. Discovered while helping dolphins live healthier and longer lives, (this TED talk covers the origin story), this essential fatty acid helps reverse cellular aging by: 

• Strengthening cell membranes. A sturdy fatty acid, C15:0 integrates itself into cell membranes and fortifies them, helping them keep their shape and protecting them from external stressors. In studies, C15:0 increased cellular strength by 80%.

• Increasing mitochondrial function. C15:0 amps up mitochondrial production in the cells. In one study, C15:0 increased ATP levels in cells by 350%. In addition, C15:0 helps rescue energy-generating pathways and decreases oxidative stress by 45%.

• Regulating inflammatory response. C15:0 calms and lowers levels of proinflammatory cytokines. 

This fatty acid also activates an enzyme called AMPK, which helps promote cellular homeostasis, clears damaged cells by inhibiting mTOR, and activates PPARɑ and PPARẟ receptors that regulate our metabolic, immune, heart, and liver health. 

You could say this fatty acid was created to support cellular health. The problem is you probably aren’t getting much of it in your diet. 

Getting C15:0

C15:0 is found primarily in whole-fat dairy products like whole milk, full-fat butter, and heavy cream. Increasing your intake of these foods wouldn’t be a good solution for getting C15:0 because it would mean taking in extra calories and more of the unhealthy, even-chain saturated fats. 

A solution? Fatty15.

Fatty15: Your Cellular Solution

Fatty15 is the first and only supplement that contains FA15™, the pure, vegan-friendly and award-winning version of C15:0. It’s readily bioavailable, sustainable, and has no known side effects except for less snacking between meals. 

Fatty15 has no taste and contains 100 mg of C15:0. That’s all you need to increase your circulating levels of this essential fatty acid and keep your cells functioning healthfully. 

Taking fatty15 once per day can help support your cells and ensure they have a fighting chance against cellular aging. Protecting your cellular health supports your ability to live a longer, healthier life. 

Water + Electrolytes + Fatty15

Cellular health is foundational to our bodies. When our cells function properly, our bodies function properly. Keeping our cells healthy involves understanding how our cells operate so we can ensure we are taking measures to keep those functions strong. 

The recipe for cellular health is simple. Drink plenty of water, eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet, and get enough exercise. Add in some electrolytes and fatty15, and you’ll be making a serious investment in your cellular health and your long-term health and wellness. 

Sources:

How much water should I drink a day? - Harvard Health

Electrolytes - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

Assessment of Hydration Status and Blood Pressure in a Tertiary Care Hospital at Al-Khobar - PMC

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

Effect of the glyceride of pentadecanoic acid on energy metabolism in hair follicles - ADACHI - 1993 - International Journal of Cosmetic Science - Wiley Online Library