Why We Crave More Water in Summer
It’s a strange thing: in the summer, when it’s hot and people are drinking plenty of water, they often find themselves wanting to drink even more. What’s going on?
The answer lies in the balance between water and table salt in our bodies. The water we drink contains almost no salt. When we drink a large quantity of water, much of it leaves the body as sweat.
Have you ever tasted your sweat? It’s salty. That means sweat is removing salt along with water. It’s as if the salt is being washed away.
Salt has a simple property: it attracts and helps the body retain water. So when the amount of salt in our tissues decreases, those tissues hold onto less water. Every time water moves through your intestines, kidneys, or out through skin pores, it carries salt with it.
This is why drinking a lot of water alone won’t satisfy your thirst. You can ease that thirst by eating a salty snack, like a pickle, or by swallowing a pinch of salt.
