Study confirms long-held belief in the link between water and weight loss
Scientists are now saying the best appetite suppressant to use for weight loss is plain old water. In a study described as the first randomized controlled trial on water and weight loss, Virginia Tech researchers found those who drank two, eight-ounce glasses of water about 20 minutes before meals lost some 2.3 kilograms more on average over 12 weeks than those who didn’t increase their water intake. “Everybody was successful in losing weight, but the water seemed to offer some added benefit,” said Brenda Davy, senior author and associate professor in the department of human nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech. The researchers found water fills the stomach, increasing feelings of fullness, and added water may have been substituting for caloric soft drinks. This finding may seem intuitive, but the team said they searched the medical literature for studies on water and weight loss, and “in spite of it being such a popular idea for those who need to lose weight, there was almost nothing that had been done, research-study wise,” said Davy.