Can a healthy “water cycle” in the body prevent or delay dementia ?

Several factors that have been shown to be beneficial for protection against Alzheimer’s disease and other type of dementia appears to have in common the enhancement of water movement in the body through a cycle of “water loss” and “water gain”. Factors that contribute to this “water loss” and “water gain” cycle include physical exercise, sleep, Mediterranean diet, coffee, green tea, sauna, diuretic medications, etc. There is a link with water in all of these factors. Physical exercise leads to loss of water through breathing and sweating. This loss is compensated by drinking water after exercise and often water is also consumed before exercise. Sleeping leads to greater water loss, compared to the awake state, due to abstinence from food and water. This causes mild dehydration leading to shrinking of cells which increases the volume of the interstitial space enhancing the clearance of wastes from the brain. Water is consumed after waking up and this leads to swelling of cells and this circadian rhythm of cell shrinking and cell swelling may act like a “pump” that enhances waste clearance from the body. The Mediterranean diet contains water-rich foods which is beneficial for hydration. Coffee and green tea contain caffeine that has diuretic properties which assists in removing water from the body. Taking sauna enhances water loss (sweating) which is followed by “water gain” (drinking of water). Research have shown that those who take the diuretic medication, bumetanide, have significantly lower prevalence of Alzheimer's disease. According to the arguments presented here, this is also due to removal of water from the body that enhances a healthy movement of water in the body. A daily cycle of healthy “water gain” and “water loss” through sleep, physical activity & diet may offer a strategy for prevention and treatment of dementia.