In looking over a client’s bloodwork this week, I noticed a couple markers that were slightly out of the “healthy” range that could indicate slight dehydration – an easy thing to fix. I asked him if he drank enough water to which his wife replied, “No! He never drinks enough!” His response was a common one I often hear from clients: “I drink enough in the summer, but in the winter, I don’t need to.”

Many people know that they need to drink more water. “Hydrate! Make sure you hydrate!” Jerry Seinfeld even had a standup bit about it that we posted on our Facebook page. The truth is, most people don’t drink enough water.

Studies have shown that dehydration is very prevalent in the winter, where humidity drops and cold actually suppresses the body’s thirst mechanisms.

“People just don’t feel as thirsty when the weather is cold,” says Robert Kenefick, University of New Hampshire associate professor of Kinesiology. “When they don’t feel thirsty, they don’t drink as much, and this can cause dehydration.”