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Will I Lose Weight by Drinking as Much Water as Possible?

Apr 3, 2011 | By Kristen Wells
Will I Lose Weight by Drinking as Much Water as Possible?
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Many weight loss programs recommend increasing the amount of water you drink each day or replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water. Several published studies show that drinking water can help you lose weight, especially if you drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. However, be cautious when increasing your daily water intake. Consuming an excessive amount of water can cause water intoxication, a potentially fatal sickness.

Water and Your Body

Your body needs water to survive. Approximately two-thirds of your body is composed of water. Water helps keep your body temperature normal, helps protect your joints and spine, and helps you digest food. Your body needs more water in certain situations, such as during workouts, in hot climates or during illness. Many foods and all beverages contain water, but not all of them are hydrating.

Increasing Water as a Weight Loss Strategy

Many diet plans recommend that you consume water. Whether you will lose weight by drinking more water depends on several factors, especially the types of beverages you consume now. However, drinking as much water as possible is not recommended due to your risk for water intoxication, a condition that can be fatal. Water intoxication, also called hyponatremia, is most often diagnosed in infants and marathon runners. However, anyone who drinks an excessive amount of water can become very sick and possibly die.

Water as an Alternative to Other Beverages

There is a strong relationship between being overweight or obese and drinking high-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages, like soda or juice. According to a 2010 systematic review of research literature published in "Nutrition Reviews," replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water will help you lose weight because it will cut calories from your diet. There is also evidence that drinking water instead of milk will help you reduce calories. Substituting water for artificially sweetened beverages, like diet soda, was not associated with changes in the number of total daily calories consumed. Therefore, if you currently drink artificially sweetened sodas, it is unlikely that drinking water instead of these beverages will help you lose weight.

Drinking Water and Weight Loss

A 2008 study in the journal "Obesity" provides some evidence to support the suggestion that increasing water consumption leads to weight loss. In the study of 173 premenopausal overweight adult women, increasing water consumption was associated with more weight loss. The study found that drinking an additional liter of water per day was associated with about 5 lb. of weight loss over 12 months.

References

Article reviewed by J.A. Rist Last updated on: Apr 3, 2011

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