Hydration, Metabolism, and Weight: An Introduction
“Drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%. The increase occurred within 10 min and reached a maximum after 30–40 min. The total thermogenic response was about 100 kJ. About 40% of the thermogenic effect originated from warming the water from 22 to 37 C,” according to The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, published by Oxford Academic. It helps to understand the relation between hydration and weight loss in the human body and significant development. The same article of Oxford Academic says, “Drinking lots of water is commonly espoused in weight loss regimens and is regarded as healthy; however, few systematic studies address this notion. In 14 healthy, normal-weight subjects (seven men and seven women), we assessed the effect of drinking 500 ml of water on energy expenditure and substrate oxidation rates by using whole-room indirect calorimetry. The effect of water drinking on adipose tissue metabolism was assessed with the microdialysis technique.” Water does more for the human body; beyond hydration, there are numerous benefits to drinking pure water, and healthy weight loss is one of those benefits.
Understanding Metabolism and its Role in Weight Management
Water is significant for all living things and organisms. The human adult body is up to 60% water, reflecting the importance of water for humans. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, “The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%. Generally, an adult male needs about 3 liters (3.2 quarts) per day while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters (2.3 quarts) per day.”
Metabolism is a function of the human body when the body processes food and drinks into energy required for each cell. This energy is primarily used for the various vital processes and the synthesis of new organic material in the body, which is helpful for growth, development, movement, reproduction, and more. Even at rest, the human body needs energy for these basic functions. The minimal energy (in calories) required for a human body at rest is known as Basal metabolic rate (BMR) or basal metabolism. The human body uses food and drinks to digest, absorb, move, and store food to burn calories. Calories burned decide the human body weight; the more burned calories control the weight, the less weight gain. Metabolism rates, when broadly characterized into, slow metabolism and fast metabolism do show up in weight gain/loss. Some individuals are quick to lose weight, and even easier than others. However, many things affect weight gain and loss. To lose weight, one needs to burn more calories than are eaten - calories in, calories out.
The Impact of Hydration on Metabolism
According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine, “Increased water intake is associated with loss of body weight produced via two mechanisms, decreased feeding and increased lipolysis.” Lipolysis is a process where the human body breaks down fat stores in the body to produce energy, heat, and insulation. Hydration helps in many ways to lose weight as it boosts metabolism and makes physical activities easier. Hydration is good for moderate weight loss for long-term goals.
Water may naturally suppress appetite, which helps to avoid impulse eating and unnecessary weight gain. Usually, mild dehydration gets confused with hunger, which can be easily avoided by drinking water. Drinking water can promote satiation, which signals brain fullness and decreases appetite. Drinking water shortly before eating or “pre-mealing” may help decrease food intake, which helps with lesser weight gain. In fact, a study titled “Immediate pre-meal water ingestion decreases voluntary food intake in lean young males " observed that pre-meal drinking of 568 ml water reduces calorie intake in non-obese young males. This can effectively suppress the urge to eat more and help with weight management.
Drinking water contains no calories compared to high-calorie or caffeinated drinks like juice, soda, sweetened tea, or coffee. Water intake helps to minimize or reduce the overall liquid calorie intake that may contribute to weight loss goals. Water hydrates well and reduces calories, so it’s a perfect replacement for sugary beverages that may help certain individuals achieve weight loss goals.
RO Water Specifically Supports Weight Management
A Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifier filters out dissolved impurities, harmful chemicals, heavy metals, foul tastes, and odors from source water to make safe and pure drinking water, that is easier to drink than poor-tasting chlorinated tap water. Because of this drinking RO water may help with healthy weight management.
* RO Water and Toxin Removal
Drinking RO water improves blood flow and urine production and eases bowel movements. In other words, proper hydration with pure water stimulates many vital functions that help remove harmful and toxic elements from the body. In addition, hydration helps promote kidney function by removing toxins, which works to build a healthier, fitter body with a balanced weight.
* Enhancing Metabolic Efficiency with RO Water
Drinking pure RO water may help boost metabolism by enhancing the metabolic rate for a healthier body. Referring to a “2003 study to test the hypothesis that ‘the sympathetic stimulus which was provided by water drinking could increase the metabolic rate’ ( Thermogenesis), which was published in ‘The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.’ The novel finding of this study was that drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30% in both men and women.” So, the idea is clear that drinking RO enhances the metabolic rate that promotes healthy weight loss to certain individuals.
* RO Water vs. Tap Water: Which is better for Weight Management?
It has been observed that compared to tap water, reverse osmosis (RO) water is a better choice for weight management as it can help keep calorie intake minimal while hydrating the body. RO water removes all the impurities, harmful chemicals, foul tastes, and odor that often stands between drinking a glass of water, and a sweet and tasty beverage. For this reason, drinking water purified by RO can improve human body functions and digestion, which helps in weight management.
Dehydration’s Negative Impact on Weight Management
Dehydration is not good for the human body as our body is made up of 60% water. Digestion and muscle functions require frequent hydration. A pure water drinking habit improves the ability to burn calories. Dehydration usually slows down the metabolism rate, which negatively impacts the body's fat-burning capacity and increases the chances of obesity. Drinking adequate water is recommended, so get a water filtration system installed and drink pure water for better health and weight management.
Can Drinking More Water Help You Lose Weight?
There is no direct research supporting this, yet certain observations and studies have supported that drinking pure water may stimulate better body functions, digestion, and weight management in certain individuals. However, regular pure drinking water helps in a weight loss regime, so with a physical routine, follow a regular drinking habit for better results.
Conclusion
Weight management in a healthier way is a challenge these days. It becomes more difficult when individuals lack an adequate hydration routine. According to a 2016 study in the “Annals of Family Medicine using a nationally representative sample of over 9,000 subjects, adults who were inadequately hydrated had higher BMIs and higher odds of being categorized as obese compared with more hydrated adults. These conclusions were made even after controlling for confounding variables.” It indicates the role of pure drinking water habit or hydration for weight management. Hydration plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy body weight, so following a healthy drinking habit gives better results. With a regular physical activity routine and hydration, an individual can easily maintain a BMI and healthy weight. It is recommended to get a reverse osmosis water filter installed to boost adequate hydration routine and stay fit.