How hydrated should you really be?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.

In this episode they’re exploring hydration. We’ve all heard we should be drinking eight glasses of water a day, but does it hold up? Chris and Xand look at what water actually does in the body and how we regulate fluid.

They also separate fact from fiction on the hydration beliefs and trends that are everywhere right now. Does drinking more water actually help you lose weight? What about the online trend of loading water with supplements and flavourings to maximise its benefits? Should we all be adding electrolytes to our water?

To help answer these questions, they’re joined by Dr John Whittle. He’s a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals and an honorary associate professor at University College London.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Producer and researcher: Dr Samara Linton Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Visual Producer: Leon Gower Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby

At the BBC:

Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4