Can drinking water help to lose weight?
Can drinking water help to lose weight?
No one claims that drinking water before bedtime (or at other times) helps you wake up, but there is evidence to support the relationship between water and weight loss.
After all, the body is made up of 60% water. In short, this clear, zero-calorie liquid affects almost all physical functions. Studies show that the more water your body uses, the more efficiently it works, from thinking to burning fat.
According to scientific research, water can help you lose weight in several ways. It can suppress appetite, increase metabolism, and make exercise easier and more efficient, all of which can contribute to weight loss.
Weight can be affected by a variety of factors, behaviors, and conditions, but if you are aiming for moderate long-term weight loss, it is advisable to start with plenty of fluids.
7 Reasons to Drink More Water Can Help You Lose Weight:
1. Water can naturally suppress your appetite.
When you feel hungry, your first instinct may be to reach for food. But food is not always the answer.
“Thirst caused by mild dehydration is often perceived by the brain as hunger,” explains pathologist and nutritionist Melina Jamboree. “Drinking water when you’re actually in need of it and calories can reduce your appetite.
Drinking extra water increases the feeling of fullness as the water moves quickly through the stomach. “It sends a signal to the brain to make you feel full.
Elizabeth Huggins, a nutritionist at Hilton Head Health, adds that the effects are temporary, but “drinking water just before a meal can reduce food intake.”
Research supports this theory as follows: A small 2016 study found that people who drank two glasses of water just before eating ate 22% less than those who didn’t before.
About two glasses need to fill the stomach for the brain to be full.
2. Drinking water can increase metabolism.
According to Huggins, drinking water can increase the body`s metabolism and energy expenditure, thus helping to control weight.
In an eight-week study published in 2013, they found that 50 overweight girls who drank about two glasses of water half an hour before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, without changing their diet, lost weight and saw a decrease in body mass index and body composition.
It’s not magic:
drinking water seems to stimulate thermogenesis, or the production of heat in the body, especially in cold weather.
The body needs the energy to warm liquids up to body temperature, and the more energy it uses, the faster the metabolism (the process by which the body converts what it eats and drinks into energy).
A small 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that drinking about two glasses of water at 71°C led to an average 30 percent increase in metabolism in 14 healthy adults.
However, before filling the glass and plate, keep in mind that the heat-generating effect causes a significant calorie deficit and is unlikely to lose weight.
“It’s important to drink plenty of water, even if the effect is negligible,” says Huggins. He points out that drinking more water has little or no negative effect.
3. Drinking water helps reduce total calorie intake.
Since water is calorie-free, you can fill a glass with H2O instead of high-calorie alternatives such as juice, soda, sweet tea, and coffee to reduce your overall calorie intake.
Choosing water instead of the usual 20-calorie drink from a vending machine uses 250 calories less, Huggins says.
If you leave muffins and water in the cafeteria instead of a regular latte to keep up with calories, your calorie savings can quickly increase.
Can drinking water help to lose weight?
Interesting:
Diet drinks do not contain calories, but replacing them with water can help some groups of people lose weight.
In a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, overweight obese women who replaced their diet drinks with water after their main diet showed significant weight loss during a weight loss program.
Researchers have said that the additional weight loss of those who drank water may be due to their consumption of fewer calories and carbohydrates, but more research is needed.
Many diet drinks, when taken in place of sweet drinks, can help you lose weight because they hydrate and reduce calorie intake.
4. It is convenient to drink water while exercising.
Water is important for the body during exercise. Water dissolves electrolytes, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium and distributes them throughout the body.
There, electrical energy causes the muscles that are needed for exercise to contract, Jampolis explains. Electrolyte imbalances can cause cramps, but they are not the only side effect of lack of water.
When muscle cells are dehydrated, they break down proteins (also known as muscles) faster and build muscle more slowly, which greatly reduces the effectiveness of training, ”explains Jeanpolis.
In addition, the body loses water faster during exercise. This is because it produces heat that is transferred to the surface of the skin, where sweat and subsequent evaporation (cooling process) help regulate temperature.
Maintaining adequate fluid intake also helps maintain blood volume, optimize the dilation of blood vessels on the surface of the skin, and dissipate heat, explains JUMPOLIS.
“If the body does not release excess heat with sweat, there is a risk of heatstroke or more,” explains JUMPOLIS.
“Proper hydration can improve exercise by reducing fatigue, allowing you to exercise longer, and consuming more calories, so not only when you’re thirsty, but also. It is very important to drink before and during exercise.
5. Water helps the body get rid of waste products.
Drinking water promotes the production of urine, which is primarily water, and the water keeps it soft, thus facilitating the passage of stool.
In other words, the more fluid you drink, the easier it is to move and the less likely you are to suffer from constipation or bloating.
In addition, according to Huggins, continued hydration promotes kidney function, removes harmful bacteria from the urinary tract, and prevents the formation of kidney stones that can occur in more concentrated urine.
6. The body needs water to burn fat.
According to a brief review published in Frontiers in Nutrition in 2016, increasing water intake may increase lipolysis, the process by which the body burns fat for energy.
“We don’t know the mechanism, but mild dehydration reduces lipolysis, which may be due to hormonal changes,” says Jeanpolis, who wasn’t involved in the study.
Another theory has been proposed in animal experiments. Water increases cell volume and can play a role in lipid metabolism.
7. Water can increase motivation and reduce stress.
When you become dehydrated, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and confusion, and who can make healthy choices under these circumstances?
Dehydration may also be associated with drowsiness and decreased alertness, according to researchers discovered in a 2016 mini-study.
Another study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that dehydration increased the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
“These symptoms can hinder motivation for exercise, cooking at home, and choosing a better diet,” explains JUMPOLIS.
Other health benefits of drinking water
Remember that your body is made up of 60 percent water. Proper hydration affects not only weight loss, but also other physical processes. Here are just a few examples of what water can do:
Water keeps the skin shining.
Scientists do not yet know the exact mechanism, but given the important role of water in most physical functions, it makes sense that it is also important for skin health.
In a 2015 study published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investment Dermatology, researchers found that increased water intake had the same effect on the skin as topical moisturizers, with a positive effect on normal skin physiology, including elasticity. Discovered that it could be given (related to sagging and wrinkles).
Can drinking water help to lose weight?
Water enhances the ability of the brain.
Like the rest of the body, the brain relies on H2O to function as efficiently as possible. H2O is composed of 73% water.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, even the slightest dehydration (up to 2%) reduces the performance of tasks that require attention, cognitive function, physical activity, and immediate memory.
Water regulates blood pressure. “Water plays an important role in maintaining efficient blood flow,” explains Huggins.
“When dehydrated, the ratio of plasma to blood cells changes, and the blood becomes thicker and more sticky, which makes it harder for blood to flow where it is needed and increases the pressure in the heart.
When the body’s cells lack water, the brain also releases chemicals that constrict blood vessels, causing high blood pressure and high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease. With proper hydration, blood vessels do not narrow and blood can flow normally.
How much water should you drink?
You’ve probably heard the general rule of “8 glasses of 8 ounces a day”. However, in reality, the amount of water you need depends greatly on your age, gender, health, physical activity, and sweating habits.
According to the National Academy of Science and Technology (NASEM), most healthy people meet every day. The need for fluid due to thirst.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American adult drinks nearly five glasses of water a day.
NASEM’s general recommendation is about 91 ounces of water per day for women and about 125 ounces of water for men.
Approximately 80% of the recommended water intake comes from water and drinks, and the remaining 20% comes from water-rich foods.
One way to determine if you are drinking enough water is to look at your glasses after urinating. “The best way is to look at the color of the urine,” says JUMPOLIS. “If it’s dark yellow, it’s not enough to drink. Look for bright yellow.
Result: Water and weight loss. Drinking water makes it easier to lose weight and has been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on other health.
“Water is essential for all cellular activity from the head to the toes of our body,” explains Huggins. “Proper hydration helps the body function more efficiently and feel better.
But drinking more water should only be a small part of your health journey: “Drinking water will not have a major impact on weight loss, and without caloric restriction and/or exercise, drinking water alone is unlikely to result in significant weight loss.
As always, it is important to take a more comprehensive and sustainable approach.
