Water helps you lose weight faster
Authored by Trombyak Ghosh.
Many studies support the theory that drinking water is beneficial for weight loss. Also, hydration is key for many factors that play a role in weight loss, including digestion and muscle function. However, the medical community is still unsure about how much of an influence water consumption has on weight loss.
In this article, we will learn six reasons that drinking water may help a person to lose weight. We also look at how much water a person should drink each day.
Six reasons why drinking water may help you lose weight.
Researchers are still unsure why drinking more water helps a person to lose weight, but many studies show some positive correlation between increased water consumption and weight loss.
Below are six reasons that water may help with losing weight.
- Water is a natural appetite suppressant
A person may also think that they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for something to eat can help to curb unnecessary snacking.
In a 2014 study, 50 overweight females drank 500 millilitres (mL) of water 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in addition to their regular water consumption, for 8 consecutive weeks.
The participants experienced a reduction in body weight, body fat, and body mass index. They also reported appetite suppression.
A study from the previous year had yielded similar results.
- Water increases calorie burning
Drinking cold water may further enhance water's calorie-burning benefits, because the body expends energy, or calories, by heating up the water for digestion.
- Water helps to remove waste from the body
Water also helps the body to recover from digestive problems, such as diarrhoea and indigestion. When waste builds up in the body, people may feel bloated, swollen, and tired. Bloating can add inches to a person's waist.
Staying hydrated is a good way to avoid retaining waste, which may add a few extra pounds.
- Drinking water can reduce overall liquid calorie intake
Most people also ignore how many calories they consume in sports drinks or alcoholic beverages.
Replacing even a few high-calorie drinks each day for water or other no-calorie beverages, such as herbal tea, may have long-term weight loss benefits.
Authors of a 2012 study found that replacing two or more high-caloric beverages for non-caloric drinks every day for 6 months resulted in an average weight loss of between 2 and 2.5 percent in a group of females with obesity.
In a study from 2015, female participants drank 250 mL of water after lunch each day while attending a 24-week weight loss program. They lost 13.6 percent more weight than women in the same program who drank the same volume of diet beverages after lunch.
Results of a large-scale study showed that men and women who replaced one serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage for water or a low-calorie drink every day for 4 years gained 0.49 fewer kilograms (kg) than a similar group who had made no changes.
The same study found that adults who replaced at least one serving of fruit juice with water or a low-calorie drink gained 0.35 kg less than their counterparts.
- Water is necessary to burn fat
Drinking enough water is essential for burning off fat from food and drink, as well as stored fat.
A mini-review from 2016 found that increased water intake led to increased lipolysis and a loss of fat in animal studies.
- Water helps with workouts
Being hydrated reduces the risk of things that can get in the way of a good workout, such as muscle cramps and fatigue.
Always drink water before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration.
“Thousands Have Lived Without Love, Not One Without Water.” – W.H.Auden