All About Water

Of the option between drinking water or soda, there appears to be evidence to support the assertion that water is the healthier choice, yet misconceptions remain. Part of the water or soda confusion centers around the effects of diet versus regular soda, specifically pertaining to weight gain, but the amount of daily water or soda fluid intake has also come under debate.

Should we really drink eight glasses of water, anyway?

Asked the question, “How much water should I be drinking?“, pinning down the scientific evidence for the “drink eight glasses of water a day” advice is difficult. Where did this suggestion originate? “I can’t even tell you that,” says Barbara Rolls, a Pennsylvania State University nutritionist, “and I’ve written a book on water.” Jurgen Schnermann, a National Institute of Health kidney specialist, maintains that much, if not all, of the body’s daily fluid loss is made up in food intake.

Can drinking soda cause weight gain?

If additional water intake is not vital to daily hydration, is drinking soda harmful? A study at the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that people who drank at least three servings of diet soda per day doubled their risk of becoming overweight over eight years. “Even if diet drinks prove to aid long-term weight loss when used to replace sugary beverages, they may promote weight gain when consumed instead of unsweetened beverages,” stated Dr. David Ludwig, writing for the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Is drinking soda harmful?

Even for those not watching their weight, water or soda choices may have health consequences. A 2006 study from Tufts University in Boston suggest that drinking cola soft drinks can result in bone loss. Lead author of the study, Katherine Tucker, Ph.D., sites phosphoric acid, which is unique to cola drinks, as the culprit. Breaking down this compound increases acidity in the blood. To neutralize acidity, hydrogen ions bind with minerals, including calcium. If enough calcium is not present in the blood to neutralize the acidity, “the body draws calcium from the bones,” says Tucker.

Phosphoric acid

Defenders of sodas in the water or soda controversy maintain that phosphoric acid, which in its pure form can eat through metals, should not be compared to edible acids. Dr. Marc Hellerstein, an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of California in Berkeley states, “Sweeteners are generally safe – it takes very high doses to show problems in animals, and I know of no problems proven in humans.” However, Dr. Hellerstein also states that drinking regular soda instead of water leads to a host of problems, including weight gain, triglycerides in the blood, and tooth decay. Plus, a person is simply not getting the health benefits of water, or gaining the help of water to prevent disease.

Whether to choose water or soda may depends upon personal goals. Dieters and those scrupulous about their health will probably choose water. However, no hard evidence exists to prove that indulging in an occasional soda drink is harmful.

Water is one of the most important things in the entire world that we consume. The question is not “should I drink water to lose weight”, but “how much water to lose weight”. This is different for everyone depending on body weight, size, and whether or not you drink water regularly. There is also such thing as drinking too much water and causing bloat or even death. This should be considered when figuring how much water to lose weight you should be drinking. Here are some health facts that might help you to figure out what is the best water consumption for you.

When should I drink water?

Recent studies have shown that drinking two to three tall glasses of water twenty to thirty minutes before you eat a meal has resulted in significant amount of weight loss for millions of people. But how much water to lose weight? The general rule is that each glass of water should be a minimum of eight ounces. According to CNN, if you drank two glasses of water before lunch and dinner, you would potentially be reducing your caloric intake by seventy-five calories; in a years time that would be fifteen pounds!

Thirst and slowed metabolism

If you are even one percent dehydrated, you could end up slowing your metabolism significantly. When you drink a lot of water, your metabolism will help to keep you active. How much water to lose weight is largely dependent on the overall weight of a person, but a general rule is to always drink more than you eat.

Keeping the fat off

Water is helpful in keeping the fat off, as it is a natural appetite suppressant and helps to eat through fat stores. When considering how much water to lose weight, a bigger person needs more water because they have more fat stores to burn through. ‘How much water should I be drinking?’, you may ask: the general rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. This prevents dehydration and keeps things moving in your body, and maintains a high metabolism.

What kind of water should I drink?

Pure, clean water is the best water to be drinking. Sparkling water, drinks with electrolytes, and vitamin waters often have many additives in them that are not good for you, let alone are usually loaded with sugar that actually creates new fat stores in the body, making it harder for you to lose weight.

Water is the best appetite suppressant, health aid, and beauty secret available. For those people who are “on a diet,” water is the best dieting aid. Drinking water while dieting raises metabolism, suppresses appetite, and burns fat deposits throughout the body. Water suppresses appetite because the brain can’t tell the difference between hunger and thirst. Often, when we think we are hungry, we are merely thirsty. What feels like hunger pangs can be satiated by a glass of water. By drinking a glass of water, we stop consuming needless calories.

Water Keeps the Body Healthy and Hydrated

Water is not only essential to weight loss and healthy weight maintenance, but to hydrating the body and providing other health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, a well-hydrated body relies on the kidneys to flush and cleanse it, and the kidneys rely on water consumption. When we don’t drink enough water, the kidneys turn to the liver for help in flushing the body of impurities and toxins. The primary function of the liver is to metabolize fat and produce bile. When the liver is called on by the kidneys to help flush the body, the liver is unable to do its job properly. This means that less body fat is metabolized; instead, it is stored, which leads to weight gain.

Drink Water to Stop Bloating

Water consumption also eliminates water retention. Water retention, or bloating, causes discomfort and causes our clothes not to fit. Additionally, water retention can lead to weight gain, which is commonly called “water weight.” When the kidneys do not receive enough water to help them eliminate waste, they store water to re-use. The only healthy way to get rid of this excess water weight is to drink enough water to restore the water balance within the body.

Water Can Cure Headaches

Besides suppressing appetite and hydrating the body, water also eliminates “diet headaches.” Often, when confronted with a headache, the sufferer takes a pain reliever with a glass of water. The headache disappears and the person attributes this to the pain reliever. However, the glass of water that was used to swallow of the pill is  often what really eliminates the headache. Headaches are a common side-effect of dehydration, and people who are dieting often forget to hydrate. Water is perfect both for dieters and for those who want to maintain a healthy weight.

Beneficial Side-Effects of Water

Those who consume enough water also notice side-effects like as younger-looking skin and reduced muscle fatigue during exercise. Those who drink at least six glasses of water a day notice the inches and pounds melting away.

As Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD outlines in his book, “Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty!” the health benefits of water extend to every system of the body. He reminds readers that an initial protocol when any patient is hospitalized is to hydrate them intravenously with a saline solution. The following a broad overview of the ways that water benefits wellness, as Dr. Batmanghelidj points out.

Mental and Emotional Wellness

Hydration helps relieve depression by replenishing the neurotransmitter serotonin. The brain, comprised of 85% water, requires more water to imprint new information. Water helps with memory, focus, and concentration, and reduces symptoms of ADD/ADHD. The production of melatonin, the body’s sleep regulator, requires hydration; water consumption helps promote regular, healthy, restful sleep. Additionally, water increases our energy levels by literally generating an electromagnetic charge in our cells.

Protection from Disease

Even a 1% decrease in the hydration of the brain can damage blood vessels and cause plaque and bleeding, which is responsible for Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. By normalizing the blood, water can even help treat and prevent leukemia, lymphoma, and other forms of cancer.

Pain Relief

Dehydration can cause or exacerbate back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and other joint pain. Hydration lubricates the cartilage that cushions joints and the tendons and ligaments that hold them together, making for greater mobility, flexibility, and comfort.

Cardiovascular Wellness

Hydration keeps blood vessels clean and clear, helping lower cholesterol. This reduces risk of heart disease and stroke. Water can also lower high blood pressure.

Healthy Skin

The skin needs moisture to perspire, one of the primary processes by which the body releases toxins. Skin experiencing dehydration holds on to what water it has left, halting the essential process of perspiration. This dries and withers skin, leading to wrinkles and other signs of early aging. In cases of extreme dehydration, the skin is at risk of scleroderma.

Anti-Aging

Dr. Sang Whang, in his book “Reverse Aging,” asserts that aging mostly results from a build-up of waste in the body. Water helps flush that waste from the system. It helps detoxify the liver and kidneys, cleanse the bloodstream, facilitate good digestive function, promote lymphatic wellness, and regulate the body’s pH balance. These processes combined help stave off early aging and keep the body looking and feeling young.

Weight Loss

Water is a necessary component for the proper functioning of the metabolism, the process by which the body breaks down proteins and carbohydrates into energy, rather than storing it as fat. Even bodies overweight from retaining liquid may benefit from drinking more water, as retention is a biological process spurred by dehydration. Water is also instrumental for healthy digestion, as it circulates enzymes through food and helps nutrients absorb into the bloodstream. Water consumption naturally reduces appetite, as a hydrated body is more nourished by the food it eats and craves less. The National Institute of Health advises parents of overweight children to replace sodas and other sweetened beverages in their child’s diet with water.

Wound Healing

When you wash your wounds, they heal faster and won’t get infected.

How Much Water Should I Be Drinking?

Water is the “principal chemical component” of the body, comprising about 60% of our bodies’ weight. Folk wisdom advises that a person should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day. While this advice is not espoused by any particular medical or scientific body, the Institute of Medicine in Canada notes that women drink a daily average of nine cups of water, and that men drink thirteen.