by The Health Sciences Academy — Get free science updates here.
Water is quantitatively the most important nutrient when it comes to preventing chronic diseases.
There is even evidence that mild dehydration may account for some deaths.
With about 60% of our human body made up of water, it is undoubtedly essential to survival. Your cells, body temperature, joint lubrication, and internal transport system depend on it.
But many people fail to drink enough of it. Especially those who are trying to lose weight.
Here are three points to consider if you (or your client) are trying to lose weight:
1. Water and satiety
The first randomised controlled trial to show increasing water consumption is an effective way to lose weight was reported in 2010 at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
That study found participants who drank two cups of water before each meal lost more weight than those who didn’t.
In fact, the pre-meal water drinkers lost an average of 5 pounds (ca. 2.3 kilos) more weight over a 12-week period than those who followed the same diet but did not drink the water.
Known as water pre-loading, drinking before a meal appears to play a role in satiety. According to the researchers, two glasses of water before a meal can do two things for you:
- Make you less hungry
- Result in fewer calories eaten
If this strategy affects satiety during the meal, consider incorporating those two glasses of water before eating and closely monitor the effects.
2. Water and metabolism
Even if you are mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down.
Being dehydrated reduces blood volume, which can also reduce the supply of oxygen to your muscles.
As you can imagine, this can make you feel tired, both physically and mentally. No good energy comes out of being tired, especially when your goal is to stay active whilst you lose weight.
On the other hand, drinking water can boost your body’s ability to burn fat.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking 500 ml of water increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and women. That’s not only a boost to your system, but it is an encouraging lift to drink more to burn more.
Warning: before radically increasing your intake of water for weight loss, be aware of the lethal dangers of water poisoning.
3. Water and toxins
Water plays a key role in detoxification and elimination. It is the element in which many of the toxins are eliminated from the body.
Drinking plenty of water flushes your system and helps excrete waste products.
Water is not only the medium for most chemical reactions in your body, but also the vital link in flushing out the normal wastes, or by-products, of your metabolism.
Ironically, a well-hydrated body is less likely to retain fluid. Excessive fluid trapped in body tissue can add a few digits on the scales.
Note: There are several detrimental metabolic processes triggered by toxicants which can lead to fat gain. You’re invited to learn this science in our Detox Specialist certification. Toxicology and detoxification are the two long-established fields of scientific research you’ll gain expertise on (DIFFERENT FROM the made-up fallacies circulating the internet these days). This way, you can safely and completely help your clients with their shorter-term health goals.
Keep yourself topped off for weight loss success
Last week, many of you have shared your stories about how you’ve installed a new habit to drink more water, more often.
Cueing yourself to keep a tall glass of water by the coffee maker to drink upon waking and before coffee; placing a jar of water around the house; setting an alarm as a reminder; checking off a list with the number of glasses you drink.
These are all excellent. The beauty of a habit is that there’s always a reward at the end – such as seeing that jar empty, or checking off each glass on that list!
So simple, yet acutely relevant to success.
How about you? How do you see the consumption of water for weight loss? Have you tried it with yourself or with a client? If not, are you willing to?
Join in the conversation and let us know in the comments below!
Available upon individual purchase. Learn more here! Do Low-Carb Diets Suppress Appetite? Do Frequent Meals Raise Your Metabolism? Learn the science and get certified!Science Reports:
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Alex Ruani, Doctoral Researcher, is the Chief Science Educator at The Health Sciences Academy, where her team of accomplished scientists and PhDs are training a new breed of over 100,000 highly-specialised nutrition professionals who are leveraging the latest personalisation strategies to help their clients. She is a Harvard-trained scientist and UCL Doctoral Researcher who is fanatical about equipping health professionals with the latest science-based tools so they can succeed in their practices – from identifying the unique nutrient needs to building highly personalised nutrition programs. Besides investigating and teaching the latest advances in health and nutrition biochemistry, Alex makes it easier to be smarter with her free email updates.
