Five common myths about hydration

Plus, dementia caregivers find community [View this email online]( [NPR Health]( October 16, 2022 by Andrea Muraskin This week, we [set the record straight on drinking water]( and dehydration. Plus, how [TikTok has opened up a conversation]( around the difficult experience of caregivers for loved ones with dementia. And we explore the potential of the [human voice as a key to diagnosis]( with a high tech twist. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Here’s what we often get wrong about hydration]( Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR In a [standup set]( at the Netflix is a Joke Festival earlier this year, comedian Ron Funches shared the secret to how his wife won his heart while they were dating. “My wife kept asking me if I was drinking enough water,” Funches recounts. She would offer him water when he picked her up for a date, and leave a bottle next to the bed when she left in the morning. He realized her concern about his hydration showed that she cared about his well being. All due respect to Funches’ wife (I for one was taking notes), but it turns out our modern preoccupation with drinking water is somewhat misguided. Evidence behind the eight-glasses-a-day rule is weak, and in fact there is no medical standard for how much we all should be drinking. "The best advice is to listen to your body," says sports medicine specialist Tamara Hew-Butler. "If you get thirsty, drink water. If you're not thirsty, you don't need to drink water." So, can drinking more water help you lose weight? Does bright yellow pee mean you’re dehydrated? [Here’s five common myths about drinking water and hydration, busted](. [Plus: How your brain can tell when you’re thirsty]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [On #dementia TikTok, family caregivers find support and share insights]( [Jacquelyn Revere, 35, moved back home at 29 to care for her mother, who had developed Alzheimer's disease. She spent six years as her caregiver and shared her experiences on TikTok, building a large following on her channel, "Mom of My Mom."]( Lauren Justice for NPR Twenty-nine years old and living in New York City, Jacquelyn Revere got a call that changed her life. It was from her mother’s friend, back in Los Angeles. The friend said Revere’s mother, Lynn, had gotten lost on what should have been a quick drive home. When Revere learned Lynn had dementia and could no longer take care of herself, she moved back across the country to become her mother’s caregiver. An only child without the financial resources of older caregivers, Revere felt stressed and isolated. So she started a TikTok channel, [@momofmymom](. Revere brings a feeling of lightness and fun to everyday routines. For example, in one video, [she makes up an upbeat song to encourage her mother to get out of the car]( and walk across the parking lot to her adult day care center. At first, mom resists leaving the car. But by the end of the video, she’s dancing down the center’s hallway. Today, @momofmymom’s videos get views in the tens and hundreds of thousands. [TikTok, it turns out, is an especially helpful platform for caregivers of people with dementia, who often feel support from the medical system is inadequate](. [Also: This form of memory loss is common — but most Americans don't know about it]( How researchers are working to diagnose illness from the sound of a person's voice [Yael Bensoussan, MD, is part of the USF Health's department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. She's leading an effort to collect voice data that can be used to diagnose illnesses.]( Allison Long/Allison Long Someone who speaks low and slowly might have Parkinson's disease. Slurring is a sign of a stroke. The voice can offer clues to detect autism, depression, and even some types of cancer. Everything from your vocal cord vibrations to your breathing patterns offers potential information about your health, says laryngologist Dr. Yael Bensoussan. Dr. Bensoussan is a lead researcher on a massive NIH-funded study to develop an AI that could diagnose people based on their speech. To train that AI, the plan is to collect recordings from over 30,000 people, with health and genetic data to match. [The end goal: an app that could help general practitioners in underserved areas refer patients to specialists](. Before you go: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images - Listen: [Why do we laugh]( - How a Brazilian doctor got her [whole city to take a COVID vaccine ​​​​​​​]( - A study casts doubt on the preventive benefits of colonoscopies, but [doctors are pushing back]( - Human cells in a rat's brain could [shed light on autism and ADHD]( We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism]( on Shots and follow us on Twitter at [@NPRHealth](. All our best, Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [shots@npr.org](mailto:shots@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? 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