In the meantime, researchers are devoting their efforts to finding ways we can slow aging and learning about the habits that may actually speed up the natural aging process.
In fact, new research from the Lancet assessing how normal to high sodium blood tests as a potential indicator of accelerated biological aging, chronic health conditions, and premature death in middle-aged individuals suggests that dehydration can possibly contribute to ending your life too soon.
Common chronic conditions that have been historically associated with aging include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
However, getting older is not necessarily the only prerequisite to developing these health conditions, and there are many other factors that can elevate your risk for their onset, too.
In the new study published by the Lancet, researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that staying hydrated might deter and slow down the aging process.
To better understand researchers' findings on the connection between hydration and aging, we must first look into their methods for measuring a person's hydration.
The Lancet's findings make it apparent that maintaining hydration is crucial to healthy aging and your overall wellbeing, and consistent dehydration can shorten your life.
Unless your doctor asks you to take a serum sodium test, it's difficult to know exactly how hydrated you are. Furthermore, there are no hard rules or guidelines that explicitly lay out how much water is recommended to drink each day.