Natural weight loss elixir

Posted on Thu, 9 Jul 09

Sticking to water, and drinking it regularly, can promote weight loss and prevent weight gain. The benefits of drinking water may be due to its ability to increase fat metabolism [1] but is more likely due to the fact that water contains no calories.

While sources of dietary sugars are generally considered more obvious items such as chocolate, candy, cake, ice cream and sweets the largest single source of added sugars in our diet is by far sweetened drinks which account for 47% of total added sugars [2].

In a review of 30 studies on the link between sweetened drinks and weight gain it was concluded that a greater consumption of sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain and obesity and that sufficient evidence exists for public health strategies to discourage consumption of sugary drinks as part of a healthy lifestyle [3].

In fact, just 1 can of soft drink or bottle of fruit juice contains 150 calories and 40–50 g sugar, which is equivalent to 10 teaspoons of table sugar. If these calories are added to your diet without reducing intake from other sources 1 drink per day could lead to a weight gain of 15 lb or 6.75 kg in just 1 year [4].

A potent example of using water against weight gain comes from Germany. A large campaign to increase water consumption in schools found that, after educational lessons and the instillation of water fountains, increasing water consumption effectively prevented weight gain in children [5].

References

1. Boschmann M et al. Water-induced thermogenesis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec;88(12):6015-9.

2.Guthrie JF, Morton JF. Food sources of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans. J Am Diet Assoc 2000; 100: 43–51.

3. Malik VS et al. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Aug;84(2):274-88.

4. Apovian CM. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. JAMA 2004; 292: 978–9.

5. O'Connor TM, Yang SJ, Nicklas TA. Beverage intake among preschool children and its effect on weight status. Pediatrics. 2006 Oct;118(4):e1010-8.

Image: Bettina Salomon. Science Photo Library.