Drinking Water and Weight Loss

From LoveToKnow Diet

Are drinking water and weight loss really connected? It seems just about every diet out there reminds us of the importance of drinking plenty of water, but why?

Metabolism, Drinking Water and Weight Loss

What does drinking water have to do with weight loss? That depends on who you talk to. Some diets claim that drinking water helps your body use the nutrients you're feeding it which in turn results in more energy.

Another theory deals with a different aspect of the metabolism. This theory ties the importance of drinking water and weight loss to the metabolism of fat. Metabolism is a word we throw around quite a bit in the dieting arena, but to break it into easy-to-remember terms, it's the rate which your body burns calories. When it comes to metabolizing fat; that's the liver's job. It converts your stores of fat into energy. But your liver has other things to take care, too. For example, if your kidneys aren't doing their job, then your liver picks up the slack. This is where the importance of drinking water comes in. If you don't drink enough water, your kidney's not going operate at peak efficiency. As a result, your liver has to let go of metabolizing fat to help the kidneys get the job done. The end result, you burn less fat and store more fat. Just the opposite of what you want.

This all sounds good, but unfortunately studies don't back up these results. Dr. Michael Boshmann and his colleagues at Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center actually tracked energy expenditures of 14 participants. These seven men and seven women were not overweight. After consuming about 17 ounces of water, their metabolic rate went up by about 30 percent in about ten minutes and continued for 30-40 minutes. Here's the crux of the findings. Men burned more fat and women more carbs.

The results boil down to this. If you increase your water intake by drinking about a quart and a half of water each day, you'll burn 17,400 calories more in the year. What does this translate to in weight…ready? About five pounds.

If you want to read more on this, you can check out the findings in the December 2008 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Other Reasons to Drink Water

While five pounds a year isn't much, it's better than gaining five pounds a year. However, besides weight loss there are a variety reasons to drink water. It's an important component in other areas of our health, too. Nearly two thirds of our bodyweight is water, and taking in enough water each day helps your brain to function properly. On the flip side, if you don't drink enough, dehydration can actually be a contributing cause for:

Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic pain
Depression
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Excessive thirst
Headaches
Heartburn
Lightheadedness
Lower back pain
Migraines
Mental irritation
Muscle weakness
Stomachache
Water retention

Other Benefits of Drinking Water

Aids in good digestion
Flushes impurities
Gives you a clear completion and younger-looking skin

How Much Water Should You Drink?

The standard prescription for water is to drink eight 8 oz. glasses each day, but did you ever think about the fact that a five foot woman who weighs 120 pounds and a six foot tall man who weighs 250 pounds are both supposed to drink the same amount of water. Something is wrong with that picture.

There is actually a more individualized approach that uses a formula based on your weight and size. Follow this formula:

Take your body weight in pounds
Divide the number of your weight in half
Convert the answer to ounces and that is how many ounces you should drink in a day

Drinking Water Does Make a Difference

While drinking water doesn't make a big difference in weight loss, it does make a difference. Take this and all the other benefits into account and you'll want to make it a habit to drink water every day.

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