How can water help your diet?
Can drinking water aid in weight loss? It has often been suggested that drinking plenty of water can assist in weight loss efforts but until recently there has been little to no scientific evidence to support this claim. Perhaps one reason for this is the natural logic behind the assumption. Human bodies are largely composed of water and so it stands to reason that we cannot function properly without an adequate intake to sustain us. If you are overweight many of your bodily functions particularly relating to your metabolism cannot function properly and therefore your demand for water actually increases. Today we have empirical evidence to support the claims that were previously assumed. Here are some of the main theories as to why increasing your water intake can assist in your weight loss.
1.) The conversion of our fatty deposits into energy takes place primarily in the liver. However the liver also works hand in hand with our kidneys which cannot function properly without enough water. As a result, dehydrated kidneys off load work they cannot perform to our over compensating livers. With all the extra work created by the kidneys our livers are less able to convert fat for use as energy. Fat that cannot be converted remains stored on our bodies. When we are adequately hydrated our kidneys can operate at their optimal level which in turn allows our livers to do what they do best – metabolize our fat stores!
2.) By increasing your water consumption you increase your ability to burn more calories. Researchers from the Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center in Berlin found that metabolic rates increased in subjects by up to 30% following water consumption. Interestingly, the increases were most pronounced after 30 to 40 minutes from time of consumption. This may have significant implications for when we schedule our water intake in conjunction with our meal times and workouts. More research still needs to be conducted in this area.
3.) By far the most supported research into the effects of water consumption on weight loss show that people eat less food when they “fill up” on water first. Our bodies cannot differentiate hunger from thirst and majority of the time when we feel hungry we are more likely to be thirsty. By drinking water before eating we are able to satiate our thirst and can better assess our actual hunger levels so that we consume fewer calories. Research has been done to support this claim by Dr. Brenda Davy at Virginia Tech University. Findings indicated that participants who drank two glasses of water 20 to 30 minutes before their meals dropped the pounds more quickly and lost more weight overall than subjects from the control group. Earlier work by Davy also found that people who drank water actually consumed fewer calories than those who didn’t.
More and more research is being conducted in the area of water consumption as an aid to weight loss but it is clear from initial studies that adequate water intake is a valuable piece of the puzzle. The recommended rate of consumption is 8 (eight ounce) glasses of water per day however it has also been suggested that the requirements for overweight people are greater than the suggested daily rate. According to colonhealth.net, to calculate your optimal water intake you should add one additional glass of water for every 25lbs you are trying to lose.
For further reading:
Boyles, S. (2004, January 5). Drinking water may speed weight loss.
Jampolis, M. (2009, April 10). Can drinking lots of water help you lose weight?.
The water health report: How eight glasses a day keeps the fat off!. (n.d.). In The Colon Therapists Network
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