It nearly goes without saying that drinking water is good for you. According to Julie Garden-Robinson, North Dakota State University nutrition specialist, water is essential to survival. It promotes body temperature regulation, protects bodily tissues, transports nutrients throughout the body and helps rid the body of waste. Weight loss diets often encourage increased water intake. Whether drinking water actually promotes weight loss, however, is controversial. Regardless, water holds many benefits for dieters and non-dieters alike.
Function
Aside from its typical function to support physical health, water serves multiple purposes for dieters. Personal trainer and fitness guru Bob Greene explains that consuming water-dense foods, such as vegetables, fruits and broth-based soups, results in greater satiation from fewer calories. Water adds bulk to food, so you feel as though you are eating more calories than you are. Dieters concerned with restricting calories can reap emotional benefits from this as eating more bulk reduces feelings of deprivation. Sipping water also can take the edge off hunger without adding calories. Greene also suggests that water can serve as a distraction from grabbing calorie-laden food or drinks. If you feel the need to grab something to sip on, choose water rather than sugary soft drinks or juices.
Theories/Speculation
Drinking water in order to lose weight is a popular notion held by dieters and diet gurus alike. However, Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pennsylvania explains that while it is indeed a calorie-free, positive beverage choice for dieters, it is a tool, not a solution. Little research supports weight loss as a result of increased water intake. Some studies do show related findings. Researchers at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute speculate that drinking water may promote weight loss by reducing total energy intake or changing the metabolism. In their study, overweight women who drank greater amounts of water lost more weight than those who did not.
Benefits
Water is beneficial in managing body temperature, sending nutrients to their appropriate places throughout the body and eliminating waste. It also helps in body tissue repair and reduces constipation. Water is essential to human life and proper bodily function. In fact, we can survive longer without food than we can without water. As far as weight loss in concerned, water is a calorie-free beverage that fits well into most any weight-loss regimen. It can be used to create satiating yet low-calorie foods and can help prevent or reduce constipation in dieters. It is also cost-effective. Most commercially prepared diet foods are pricey; water, relatively speaking, is not.
Risks
Dieters who exercise extensively may require additional hydration in order replace fluids lost through sweat. In this case, the risk involves consuming too little water. Overhydration, known as "flooding" or hyponatremia, can occur but is rare and extremely difficult to accomplish. In the case of hyponatremia, the body has been flooded of important electrolytes, such as sodium. To help prevent hyponatremia and electrolyte imbalance, drink water that contains electrolytes, such as various sports drinks, when exercising extensively. Avoid exercising outdoors in extreme heat, and if you feel symptoms of hyponatremia, such as headache, confusion or nausea, seek medical attention.
Suggestions
If you are dieting, drink water as desired, using your thirst as a guide. Water is a healthy, suitable beverage choice at meals and throughout the day, and it serves as a nutritious alternative to sugary beverages such as soft drinks or those dense in calories such as alcohol. Incorporate a variety of water-rich foods into your diet--such as broth-based soups, fruits and vegetables--to reap nutritional benefits and as healthy substitutes for fat- or calorie-dense foods. When you exercise, your thirst will likely increase. Listen to your body's thirst signal.
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