We all know it’s important to drink water to stay hydrated and healthy. However drinking water before meals may be a great way of controlling food intake and feeling fuller quicker. We had a look at some interesting studies that show how water can really fill you up.
Drinking water can help prevent you from overeating by making you feel more satisfied as the Business Insider reports. A study at Wageningen University asked a group of people to consume a meal shake followed by 50 ml or 350 ml of water. Feelings of hunger and fullness were recorded along with MRI scans of the brains and stomachs of participants. The group that consumed the larger volume of water were observed to have increased brain activities as well as having reported feeling fuller.
In 2015, University of Birmingham reported that drinking water before meals can also make you feel fuller. If you’re a person who might be struggling to keep your overeating under control, it might be worth drinking some water before, during and after your meals. A further link between water consumption and weight was shown by a study of 9500 people from the University of Michigan. From comparing hydration in urine samples and Body Mass Index (BMI), the less hydrated individuals seem more likely to be obese and have a higher BMI. However, the researchers stress that this link does not mean that drinking water will result in a weight loss, as there are many behavioural factors involved such as eating instead of drinking when thirsty.
No doubt that drinking water is still an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and it is always beneficial to replace a sugary fizzy drink for a glass of water once and in a while. Various public health authorities suggest we drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, but this is just a loose guideline, as humans have actually developed a good sense of when to drink. Remember that every day we can receive hydration from various sources such as from fruits, teas and coffees.
With the temperatures heating up in the UK over the last few days, remember to watch out for signs of dehydration and always have some water ready to go!
