Benefits and Side Effects of Drinking Water for Weight Loss - If you don't drink enough water, you can easily become dehydrated. Thirst will make you hungry, and this is one of the basic premises behind the idea that drinking water can reduce hunger and help you lose weight.
Many studies support this idea, so it's not just pure hype. Recently, researchers found that adults who are chronically inadequately hydrated have a higher body mass index (BMI) and are more likely to be obese compared to adults who are hydrated.
HOW CAN DRINKING WATER HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
There are a number of mechanisms by which drinking water can help you lose weight. Research in the UK has shown that drinking water is thought to promote weight loss. If you drink more water, you can:
REDUCE YOUR CALORIC INTAKE
Drink more water, you are less likely to drink other beverages like soda, packaged fruit juices and energy drinks, and this is, the most important factor that explains why higher water consumption promotes weight loss.
Research shows substituting other drinks for plain water typically lowers your overall calorie intake by about 9 percent, or 200 calories per day.
REDUCE APPETITE
In a study involving 84 adults who were classified as obese, they drank 500 milliliters (ml) of water or about two glasses about 30 minutes before eating.
Overall, they lost 4.3 kg, or 9 pounds per day when done 3 times a day. Or, if done once a day, can reduce body weight by about 0.8 kg per day.
It is important to remember not to drink carbonated drinks or water with other mixtures.
Other scientific evidence by researchers from Germany proves that drinking water can support weight loss by allowing more calories to be burned.
Actual water requirements are very individual and can vary from day to day, depending on your age, body size, activity level, temperature and so on.
Other studies have also shown a link between water intake and weight loss. People who drink more water and eat fruits and vegetables will reduce their habit of high-sugar drinks.
This new habit is also accompanied by a lack of desire to eat high-calorie foods. This means that fewer calories enter the body. Chances are, this is the body's reaction to feeling less thirsty, so consuming less sweet drinks.
That's why apart from drinking water directly, to lose weight you need to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Both types of food contain about 90% water which can be used to meet daily fluid needs.
A study in Japan revealed that women who consumed a lot of these two types of food had smaller body mass index and waist circumference.
One of the advantages of the method of using water as a support for weight loss is the ease of doing it in the midst of intense activity, compared to other weight loss methods.
BEWARE OF SIDE EFFECTS
While most people don't drink enough water for optimal health, too much water comes with risks.
As explained in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), excessive amounts of drinking water can cause your sodium level to drop to dangerously low levels, causing hyponatremia; a condition in which your cells can become waterlogged and swell.
While most cells can deal with this swelling, your brain cells cannot, and most of the symptoms are caused by brain swelling.
So before you start to lose weight just by drinking lots of water, consult your doctor first.
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