Can Weight Loss be Achieved by Drinking Water?

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Highlights:

• Can increase in water intake, be an effective for weight loss strategy
• Water is 100% calorie free
• Drinking water before a meal can help prevent overeating and help decrease calorie intake

The growing incidence of obesity has become one of the greatest threats to the health of people. It has been shown that even a modest weight loss can significantly help in reducing the morbidity and mortality which are associated with obesity.

Weight loss can be achieved by burning the excess fat content stored in our body. To burn fat, people engage in several activities include walking, running, cycling, doing yoga, going to the gym and exercising.

‘Weight loss can be achieved by drinking water. But the tricky part is when. This extra calorie-burning activity is a boon for overweight people.’

Added to the above strategy of exercise, drinking water too can help with weight loss. Some studies show that drinking adequate amounts of water, especially for overweight women can help with burning calories (1^✔).

Water and Its Importance in Weight Loss

Water is the essential element and makes up 60% to 70% of our body. It is the source of all life and is the most important fluid in our ecosystem. Drinking water while you are hungry will quench the hunger and lead to decreased calorie intake.

Water does not have the property of reducing weight, but it has the property of fulfilling our quench for hunger. Thereby, combining water with various herbs and spices can aid in effective weight loss.

Replacing water with caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages or with sugar-free drinks improves health and reduces a person's weight. Caffeinated beverages may have negative impact on pregnancy, fertility, glucose control, and other effects of health.

Here are some ways how drinking water can help you burn calories and resulting in weight loss:

• No calories: Water has no calories, and it helps flush out toxins from the body. It helps to burn fat and keep the body active.
• Water before meals: In many cases, people drink water immediately after meals or with food. However, some believe that this can cause indigestion and weight gain but there is no evidence for this belief. However, drinking water before meal gives a feeling of fullness and helps prevent overeating and control weight.
• Hot water: Hot water with lemon is a popular for weight loss but again there is no evidence as such. In 2003, a study claimed that drinking 500 ml of water before a meal increased metabolism by 30 percent. If the temperature of water is raised to 98.6 degrees it accounted for 40 percent of the increase in metabolism.
• Natural flavors: Some people do not like to drink water because it has no taste. In such cases, natural flavors such as lemon, ginger, fennel, and fruit slices can be added to encourage more drinking of water.

Experimental Research for Weight Loss by Drinking Water

Will water drinking facilitate weight loss or not? Let's deep dive into some of the research studies to understand the relationship better.

In the first study, it was tested for associations between absolute and relative increases in drinking water and weight loss over 12 months (2^✔) in obese women. The study indicated that drinking water may promote weight loss by lowering total energy intake and/or altering metabolism.

Absolute and relative increases in drinking water were associated with significant loss of body weight and fat over time (2^✔). The results of this study suggest that drinking water may promote weight loss in overweight, dieting women (2^✔).

In the other study, water consumption has been proposed for weight loss; however, the evidence of its efficacy is limited (3^✔).

This study employed different strategies for weight loss achievement: increasing daily water intake, replacing caloric beverages with water, and premeal water load. All these strategies showed a weight loss effect after follow-up (3^✔).

The most effective intervention among the studies was the replacement of caloric beverages with water. The quality of the evidence for the primary outcome of weight loss was rated low to moderate (3^✔).

The main limitation of this study was the short-term follow up-period. In conclusion, despite the weight loss, the low to moderate quality of evidence and the short term follow-up are limitations to support evidence-based recommendations of water consumption for weight loss in overweight women (3^✔).

At present, there are lack of good quality large studies to substantiate the claim that water intake can cause weight loss by itself. However, studies where individual are dieting for weight loss or maintenance do suggest the weight-reducing effect of increased water consumption. However, studies in general mixed-weight populations yielded inconsistent results.

Drinking water along with exercise and dieting is important in strategy for weight loss and increasing the consumption of water may have indirect benefits in reducing calorie intake but may not directly help with weight loss.

References:

1. Effect of 'water induced thermogenesis' on body weight, body mass index and body composition of overweight subjects - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24179891/)
2. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18787524/)
3. Effect of water consumption on weight loss: a systematic review - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31657610/)

Source: Medindia

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