Hydration and IBD
Why is hydration so important?
Being well hydrated is important for every single biological function of our body. However, most of us don’t drink enough fluid. Hydration can be particularly challenging and important when we have IBD, particularly if we have active disease, diarrhoea, or no colon (ileostomy or J-Pouch) where we are losing more fluids.
Simple tips to stay hydrated
Drink little and often - some find it helpful to set an alarm on their phone as a reminder
Having a glass of water when we wake up or before any other drinks in the morning can start our day off right - think 'hydrate before you caffeinate!' pop a glass of water by the kettle to help you remember
Always carry a reusable water bottle so access to fluid is easy.
Hydrate for exercise - Make sure you’re well hydrated before any kind of physical activity and rehydrate during and afterwards with an electrolyte drink
Drink more when it's hot / in air-con - in warmer weather we sweat and lose more fluid (and oral rehydration solutions may be helpful).
Fruit and vegetables also contain fluid and may contribute to up to 20% of our fluid intake each day so enjoy (texture adapted and blended if flaring to increase tolerance)!
How can we tell if we are dehydrated?
Checking our urine can be a great easy way to check our hydration status. We should all aim for light coloured urine.
If you notice your urine getting darker than this, try to drink more fluids.
So, next time you have a wee, have a peak and check the colour!
What are the signs of dehydration?
Signs of mild dehydration include:
Headache
Thirst / dry mouth
Tiredness / fatigue
Poor concentration
Darker urine
Drinking to reduce dehydration
For fluids to be optimally absorbed by our body, a drink needs to have the right balance of three things:
Water + sugar + electrolytes
Together, the right balance of water, sugar and electrolytes make up the 'osmolarity' aka the concentration of a drink. The osmolarity of drinks is important for hydration because it determines how quickly fluids are absorbed by the body and how effectively they can replace lost fluids.
Drinking to reduce dehydration
When we are dehydrated we want to aim to include some drinks with low/optimal osmolarity (i.e. with some water, sugar and salt) to support absorption and hydration.
NB: Drinks with high osmolarity include concentrated fruit juice, soft drinks and some sugary sports drinks. Plain water has zero osmolarity. Drinking only these could have a negative impact on hydration, if we are already dehydrated, as they can encourage water to be drawn out of the cells into the digestive tract (when we want it to be the other way round!).
Oral rehydration solutions that can be made at home like St Marks or Oxford solutions can be really helpful for diarrhea and dehydration.
To support hydration daily when its hot and when we have diarrhea or no colon, including 1-2 sachets of an oral rehydration solution can be really helpful alongside other fluids we usually drink like water, tea, coffee etc.
Some good brands include SOS Hydration and Hydrostomate.
NB: if you have diabetes, kidney or liver failure ask your doctor before taking oral rehydration solutions.
If you would like support with your IBD we can help you.
We are a nutrition and dietetics clinic specialising providing exceptional care to improve the quality of life of people living with IBD. We bring clarity around food and IBD and remove uncertainty and fear around food.
Our IBD specialist Nutritionist (Clemmie) and specialist gastroenterology and IBD Dietician (Jess) both have IBD too so ‘get it’ and are so passionate about helping others with IBD.
If you would like support with your IBD please book a call with Clemmie via the button below so we can find out more about you, discuss how we can help and take you through our appointment options.
Disclaimer: All content found on the nalmclinic.com website, including: text, video, or other formats have been created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor, consultant or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
We are all wonderfully unique and what works for one person may not work for another so please seek help and advice before changing your diet to work out the right way forward for you.