​Water impacts several health conditions

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Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) waded deep into analyzing 18 randomized controlled trials to determine the benefits of drinking plenty of water.

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“For such a ubiquitous and simple intervention, the evidence hasn’t been clear and the benefits were not well-established, so we wanted to take a closer look,” says senior and corresponding author Dr. Benjamin Breyer, a professor at UCSF. “To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the benefits of water consumption on clinical outcomes broadly.”

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Here’s what they found:

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• The researchers found ample evidence in favor of drinking water to prevent kidney stones and help people lose weight.

• Drinking eight cups of water a day significantly decreased the likelihood of getting another kidney stone.

• Several studies indicated drinking about six cups of water a day helped adults lose weight — and say encouraging people to drink water before meals is a simple, cheap intervention that could have huge benefits in combating weight gain.

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​There were other conditions that researchers found were improved by drinking more water…

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• Adults with recurrent headaches had improvements in their quality of life after three months of improving their water consumption.

• When women with recurrent urinary tract infections drank an additional six cups of water a day, it reduced the number of infections and increased the amount of time between them. 

• Drinking about four additional cups of water a day helped diabetic patients with elevated blood glucose levels.

• And drinking more water helped raise blood pressure in young adults with low blood pressure.

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The most impactful time to drink water

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Another study sheds light on why drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is an incredibly great way to start your day.

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In that study, participants had not consumed water for 12 hours — they slept overnight and did not drink water for some time before bedtime.

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• Drinking about 7 ounces of water upon waking — a single glass — not only helped them recover from nightly dehydration and reduce thirst but it also reduced anger, fatigue and poor mood.

• Even better, drinking two glasses was shown to improve working memory.

• Those who didn’t drink any water complained of being tired, grumpy and thirsty — not surprising!

 

The Heart Foundation, which warns that dehydration can thicken blood and impact circulation, also recommends getting in the habit of drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.

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And other experts have found drinking water in the morning can kickstart your metabolism by up to 30 percent for the next few hours.

So, after drinking that first glass first thing in the morning, simply add a glass of water before each meal and try for a total of between six and eight cups a day. But also follow Dr. Breyer’s advice…

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“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for water consumption. We know that dehydration is detrimental, particularly in someone with a history of kidney stones or urinary infections. On the other hand, someone who suffers from frequent urination at times may benefit from drinking less.”

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Remember soups and some fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee contribute to your water intake too.

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One thing to keep in mind is that most water, whether from the tap or a bottle, contains forever chemicals. So invest in a good quality reverse osmosis water filter, if you can, which can reliably remove the most common forever chemicals like PFOAs.

 

 

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