Drinking Water To Lose Weight: Does It Really Work?

Drinking water is thought to help with weight loss, but is this really the case?

Drinking Water For Weight Loss?

There are several people who decide to drink water as part of their weight loss efforts. In fact, a 2019 study reported that, from 2015 to 2016, 26.3% of the study's participants reportedly drank a lot of water with hopes for weight loss.

There are also other studies that suggest that drinking more water is associated with losing weight. However, the evidence is not enough to show a direct causal relationship. So, does drinking water really help with weight loss?

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Calorie Burning

Consuming water is linked to heightened sympathetic activity. The sympathetic system of the body activates things such as metabolism and heart rate. Hence, drinking water could aid in boosting metabolic rate and number of calories burned.

A 2023 study observed that individuals who drank 200 to 250 ml of warm water after each meal had more weight loss and lower BMI compared to the control group. In another older study, participants were given sucrose, saline solution, or water for consumption. They were then assessed for the impact of the drinks on resting energy expenditure and calories burned during rest.

It was observed that room temperature did not yield any effects, while cooled water showed that 23 more calories were burned daily. The sucrose drink showed higher and significant energy expenditure.

This questions how water itself could be effective in obesity management. Further research must focus more on the effects of cold and hot drinks on energy expenditure.

Drinking Water Before Meals

Some people think that drinking water before meals could help reduce appetite. A 2018 study shows that drinking water before meals could make a person feel less hungry and eat less as a result. However, this was only observed among individuals with an average BMI and weight. It is not clear how this could apply to individuals with obesity or who are overweight.

While a 2016 study suggests that drinking water over caloric drinks could lead to lower calorie consumption and that drinking water could aid with calorie burning and stimulation of fat breakdown, another study from 2018 showed that drinking more water does not affect the body weight of teneagers who have obesity or are overweight.

Odds of Weight Gain

Drinking water could also help prevent weight gain in the long run. Based on a 2013 study, participants who took one extra cup of water each day had a lower weight gain by 0.13 kilograms. Individuals who opted for one cup of water over a sugar-sweetened drink had a reduced four-year weight gain by 0.5 kilograms.

A newer review from 2019 showed that drinking more water was associated with more weight loss, ranging from 0.4 to 8.8 kilograms. However, according to the researchers, the weight loss was seen when participants opted for water over other high-calorie drinks. This shows that water consumption itself is not the reason behind the weight loss.

Overall, water can still be helpful with weight loss as it is fully calorie-free, could aid with burning, and could even suppress appetite. It's even better if a person opts for water over other sweetened beverages.

However, evidence is not enough to support the claim that drinking more water could directly result in weight loss.