Does repeated dehydration cause brain shrinkage?
Your brain is mostly water, about 75 percent, so it reacts quickly when you do not drink enough. Even mild dehydration, like losing just 1 to 2 percent of your body water, can make brain cells shrink. This happens because the body loses fluid, and salts in the blood get more concentrated. To balance this, brain cells release water and get smaller. Studies using MRI scans on healthy adults and teens show that after 12 to 16 hours without much water, like overnight, the whole brain volume drops by 0.3 to 0.6 percent. The brain tissue shrinks while spaces inside the brain, called ventricles, get bigger as fluid builds up there. This makes the brain look smaller and more wrinkled.
In one test, dehydrated teenagers had to use more brain power in areas for planning, attention, and problem solving during thinking tasks. Their brains lit up stronger on scans, even though they did not do worse on the tasks. This means the brain works harder and uses more energy just to keep up.
What happens if this keeps going on? Repeated mild dehydration over time might speed up normal brain shrinkage that comes with age. This could lead to brain atrophy, where the brain gets smaller faster than it should. Some experts think it also raises the risk of cognitive problems and even dementia later in life. Everyday habits like not drinking enough water add up and hurt brain health in the long run.
Sources
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/even-mild-dehydration-can-shrink-your-brain-heres-what-you-should-do-to-prevent-it/articleshow/126320814.cms
https://economictimes.com/magazines/panache/your-brain-might-become-smaller-because-of-a-common-daily-habit-3-easy-ways-to-prevent-it/articleshow/126322055.cms
https://www.cureus.com/articles/292309-analysis-of-the-elnady-technique-on-cadaveric-tissues-a-low-barrier-to-entry-to-increase-tissue-handling-comfort-longevity-and-safety.pdf?email=
