New Delhi, March 31 -- We're just stepping into April but several parts of India are already suffering heat waves and abnormally high temperatures. As a result, hydration has become a hot topic earlier than usual. As with most vital wellness and health-related matters these days, there is a fair bit of conflicting information out there with no credible source or scientific evidence to support it. "That doesn't take away from the fact that hydration is critical in fighting extreme heat, as prolonged exposure to high temperatures can increase water loss through sweating, leading to dehydration," says Dr. N.R. Shetty, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.

A study in the American Journal of Physiology fo...