Excess Water Intake won’t Reduce Weight

If you think that drinking lots of water daily will help you cut the flab, think again, for a study has claimed that it could be just a waste of time.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found that drinking the elixir of life does not keep one trim – instead, one could be better off eating foods rich in water like fruit, vegetables, rice, soups and casseroles.

According to them, it is unclear why water in food but not in drinks affects weight – it could be because water-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and rice also high in fibre.

In fact, the researchers have based their findings on an analysis of 1,000 young women in Tokyo. They compared the weight and waist size of the participants with the amount of water they consumed each day, both from drinks and food.

The study found no link between water in drinks, including water itself, tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices, and body shape, the Daily Mail reported.

But the researchers found a link between water taken in from food, with women who ate the highest quantities of water-rich foods tending to have slightly smaller waists. And, those subjects also had a lower body mass index, meaning they were a better weight for their height.

The link held firm even when other factors such as the amount of exercise done and whether the woman was dieting were taken into consideration.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of Nutrition.

The study is not the first to question the widely-promoted theory that we need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy.

An earlier review of every published clinical trial into the benefits of water found there was no solid evidence that drinking plenty was good for the skin, warded off weight gain or helped rid the body of toxins.

Instead, most of us get all the fluids we need to avoid dehydration from food and other drinks, including tea and coffee, the analysis found.

The American researchers said those living in hot, dry climates have a need for extra water, as do athletes and patients with some illnesses. “But no such data exists for average healthy individuals,” their report said.

The popular reason why people on the diet are asked to drink lots of water is that it fills you up so that you potentially eat less, there is no other logical or magical reason why water should help one lose weight.