We are encouraged to drink more water because it’s good for us. Now, a new study has looked at evidence from previous studies to see if drinking more water really does have health benefits, and to test that claim.
Our bodies are made up of up to 60% water. This vital fluid contributes to many important functions, including regulating body temperature, eliminating waste, acting as a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord, producing saliva, and lubricating joints.
It is recommended that you drink a certain amount of water every day to prevent dehydration that interferes with your body’s ability to perform these functions. But beyond that, how does drinking water, and especially drinking lots of water, benefit our overall health?A new study led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that They looked for an answer to that question.
“We wanted to take a closer look at such a ubiquitous and simple intervention because the evidence is unclear and the benefits are not well established,” said Benjamin Breyer, M.D., chair of UCSF’s Department of Urology. said. Senior author of the study.
The amount varies depending on who you ask, but the U.S. National Academy of Medicine estimates that men between the ages of 19 and 30 should drink about 13 8-fluid ounce cups (3L), and the same women should drink 8 fluid ounce cups (3L) per day. We recommend a fluid intake of 2.1L). year. Note the use of the word liquid, which includes drinking water and other beverages.
Researchers looked at data from previous randomized clinical trials that looked at how increased water intake (with the exception of one study in which water intake was decreased) affected health and health-related issues. We systematically examined the following. The studies evaluated different populations, and recurring primary endpoints included weight loss, fasting blood sugar levels, headaches, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and kidney stones. Here’s what researchers found:
weight loss
Three studies found that overweight and obese adults who were randomly assigned to drink 1.5 L of water per day before meals for 12 weeks to 12 months lost weight compared to a control group. was big. The weight was 100%, 87%, and 44% more than the control group. However, in a fourth study of 38 participants, drinking 68 fluid ounces (2 liters) of water per day was not associated with weight change over a six-month period. This study differed from the other three studies because some of the participants were adolescents.
fasting blood sugar level
A study of 40 people with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes (within the past 5 years) found that 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) before breakfast, 17 fl oz (500 mL) before lunch, and 8.5 fl oz (500 mL) before dinner. I drank fluid ounces of water for 8 weeks. A significant difference occurred in fasting blood glucose levels (-32.6 mg/dL) when compared to the control group (5.3 mg/dL). This is a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar levels, but it is not clear from the study whether it is due to hemodilution. Literally, diluting blood with water. Furthermore, since water intake was pre-meal, the observed effect could be the result of reduced food intake or weight loss (which did occur in the treatment group).
In contrast, another study of 60 participants found that they drank 18.6 fl oz (550 mL) of water within two hours of waking up and 18.6 fl oz (18.6 fl oz) of water before bed. It was found that drinking for 12 weeks actually increased fasting blood sugar levels by approximately 0.6 mg/dL. The study included adult participants who were not receiving diabetes treatment or lifestyle modifications.
headache
Two studies that evaluated the effects of increasing fluid intake by 1.5 L per day for 3 months in patients with recurrent headaches found conflicting results. A study of 102 adults found that the intervention improved participants’ migraine-specific quality of life (MSQL) scores by 4.5 points and reduced the number of days with at least moderate headaches. However, the results were not statistically significant. Additionally, only 21% of participants in the intervention group completed the study.
Another study used the same intervention in adults with migraine or tension headaches, but the effects were not statistically significant in terms of MSQL, medication use, number of episodes, average headache intensity, or headache duration. It was not significant. However, the sample size of that study was small at 18 participants.
Urinary tract infections (UTI) and overactive bladder
In a randomized trial, 140 premenopausal women with recurrent urinary tract infections who typically consumed less than 1.5 L of fluid per day increased their fluid intake by 50.7 fluid ounces per day. Drinking more water each day was associated with a lower average number of urinary tract infection episodes over a 12-month period, fewer antibiotic treatments, and increased time between episodes.
Another study investigated whether increased water intake changes the pathogens found in the urinary tract. Fourteen premenopausal women who were dehydrated (drinking less than 50.7 fluid ounces per day) increased their daily fluid intake to 64 fluid ounces (1.9 L) but drank more water. There was no difference in bacteria between those who drank and those who did not: 7% vs. 8%, respectively. Yet another study randomly assigned 24 adults with overactive bladder, which causes sudden, uncontrollable urges to urinate, to see how increasing or decreasing fluid intake affected symptoms. A 25% decrease in water intake was associated with a decrease in urinary frequency, urinary urgency, and nocturia or nocturia.
kidney stones
For a long time, people who have kidney stones or are prone to kidney stones have been recommended to drink plenty of water to prevent or help pass stones. Researchers looked at two studies that looked at the association between increased water intake and kidney stone risk. One study in healthy adults aged 25 to 50 compared drinking an additional 2L of water per day with a control group and found that the risk of kidney stone formation was lower in the treatment group and lower in the control group. It turned out that there was an increase.
Next, after the first onset of kidney stones, 221 patients were asked whether they would like to increase their fluid intake until they were urinating 68 fluid ounces (2 L) per day or keep their fluid intake unchanged. There was a study that targeted this. In the intervention group, kidney stone recurrence rates were significantly reduced by more than half over five years.
In other words, drinking more water was associated with statistically significant results in losing weight and avoiding kidney stones. Other single studies suggest that drinking more water has benefits related to headache prevention, urinary tract infections, and diabetes management, but none reached statistical significance. yeah.
Researchers encourage better designed studies to evaluate the health benefits suggested by the single study examined, given the low cost and extremely low chance of water causing adverse effects. states that it is necessary to do so.
“Although the amount of rigorous research turned out to be limited, in some specific areas there were statistically significant benefits,” Breyer said. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to broadly evaluate the benefits of water intake on clinical outcomes.
“Dehydration has been shown to be harmful, especially for people with a history of kidney stones or urinary tract infections. On the other hand, people who occasionally suffer from frequent urination may benefit from drinking less alcohol. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to water consumption.”
The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Source: UCSF
