The Ultimate Ramadan Hydration Guide

Most people DO NOT hydrate properly during #Ramadan 🌙

End up drinking a ton of water at suhoor, then urinating like a horse for the next few hours 🐎

End up thirsty and lightheaded

We aren’t camels, we are humans 🐫⏩️ 👤

Here’s the Ultimate Ramadan Hydration Guide 👇 pic.twitter.com/TFLBHd50m4

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

In order to improve hydration, we want to increase the amount of water we absorb into our blood and cells

If you just drink 4 cups of water alone, very little of that is going to get absorbed

But there are some tricks we can leverage 👇

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Introducing Sodium-Glucose transporter

We have a special transporter in our gut that absorbs sodium and glucose together

As these are absorbed, water follows pic.twitter.com/3uNAgnWS9Q

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Hydration is a sodium game. This is why we give IV fluids with sodium/solute in the hospital

If you don’t eat food with sodium and glucose in it, you will end up not absorbing as much water

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

This image is IMPORTANT

When they over-hydrate people with just water, only 5% gets absorbed (first on the left)

Add in sodium? Up to 60% of water retained. (Third from left)

Now we’re talking! pic.twitter.com/4qTGQhga0P

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

You SHOULD drink to quench your thirst

Thirst is generally accurate for hydration

But over drinking pure water is not helpful and may even be counterproductive

Instead use these tricks to increase total water absorbed

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Certain brands like @liquidiv (no brand affiliation) take advantage of this with what they call CTT

Cellular transport technology

They are smartly taking oral rehydration therapy and packaging it for the masses

More solute = more water absorbed pic.twitter.com/Au6I7pgh4F

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

There are number of these electrolyte packets on the market now

I’ve tested out liquid IV, Nuun, and LMNT. All work good

LMNT is low in sugar for those who are worried about sugar pic.twitter.com/vYtBKTLb4y

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

These have been GAME CHANGING

Not lightheaded 🤕

Able to workout WHILE fasting 🏋🏻‍♀️

High energy levels 💥

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

You can also just make this at home on your own

- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt (around 500-1000mg sodium)
- 8-16oz of water
- squeeze of lemon
- eat dates or fruit for sugar

But watch out on salt if you have high blood pressure or heart disease

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

What drinks hydrate the most? The drinks that have solute in them

- hydration drinks #1 of course
- milk (lactose, sodium, potassium) pic.twitter.com/CqkD0JmEBb

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

DISCLAIMER

If you

- have high blood pressure
- heart disease
- on diuretic medication

DO NOT ADD MORE SODIUM without talking to your doctor

These patients are usually restricted to 2000mg sodium daily

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

If you are eating salty food at suhoor, you won’t need to do this

In fact if you eat too much salt, you’ll need MORE water otherwise you’ll be thirsty

I aim for a balance of 1000mg sodium to 1L of water or so

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

What about Gatorade and other -ade drinks?

Not the ideal ratio

Coconut water? High in potassium, but not in sodium. Good option for those worried about sodium but for someone who gets lightheaded or hypotensive, sodium is key 🔑

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Now back to this image

Notice the second from the left? This is glycerol induced hyper-hydration

Glycerol can add up to 1L of water on to your body and decrease urination

Together with sodium (4th tube), you get 77% of water absorbed

WOW pic.twitter.com/zFoKJNiac0

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

For most, sodium is sufficient. ~60% absorbed

However for an athlete or someone who has a strenuous job with a lot of sweat production, glycerol is an option

I am testing glycerol this Ramadan and will keep you posted, iA

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

These are the guidelines I follow for hydration: pic.twitter.com/c8xco2Un7O

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

I myself have been doing this for a few years now

Family/friends who try it have told me it has completely changed their Ramadan experience

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Of course talk to your doctor first and this is NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.

This is just for informational purposes

For people who have low on blood pressure, doctors often prescribe sodium tablets.

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

Tips on hydration and more are all discussed in my Ramadan ebook.

Available for $0+ below. Want this to be available to all Muslims in Ramadan, even those who cannot afford its #muslimtwitterhttps://t.co/YuIlsY2EV1 pic.twitter.com/GKLLQq1sDm

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 22, 2023

And now I programmed an AI to make a video of me explaining this thread

It even nailed my stutters, ums and speech cadence

Crazy! pic.twitter.com/ZJnC9GN67h

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 23, 2023

And if you’re hydrating well but still having a headache 🤕, check out this thread 👇 https://t.co/JtjfHPuAmE

— Abud Bakri MD 📟 (@AbudBakri) March 23, 2023