Why Water Helps Weight Loss (and Prevents Fainting, Too!)

New studies have found that drinking water can promote weight loss, and may prevent you from fainting after giving blood.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on July 12 2010

Flickr Creative Commons image by the half-blood prince

Magazine covers are always blaring about some “miracle juice” or another that can help you drop all of your unwanted weight. The truth is, you won’t find a drink more magical than plain old water—and now it’s got science on its side.

In a recent study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, researchers found that drinking ordinary water can increase blood pressure in patients who are unable to regulate it naturally, and it is able to increase sympathetic nervous system activity and constrict blood vessels in all subjects.

Because it increases sympathetic nervous system activity, it also increases the amount of calories your body burns, which helps you lose weight. Sure, it’s not a dramatic amount—but when the only exercise you’re doing is lifting a glass, it’s pretty effective.

“I calculated it might be as much as five pounds a year if you drank three 16 ounce glasses of water a day and nothing else changed,” Vanderbilt professor David Robertson said.

If you’re swapping water in for a high-calorie soda, though, you’ll be cutting back your calorie intake dramatically, and could lose a significant amount. It’s a simple swap that could really help your health.

And in other water-related news, the American Red Cross has found that when blood donors drink a 16-ounce glass of water prior to giving blood, they’re 20 percent less likely to faint. It’s a discovery that could save thousands of lives by keeping donor blood in strong supply.

“If you pass out after giving blood, you pretty much never give blood again,” said Robertson. “If we can reduce fainting by 20 percent, we can reduce the unpleasantness of passing out and really bolster the number of people who can continue to be blood donors.”

So, who wants a glass of water?

Filed under: Health and Wellbeing, Science,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

Dallas Weins Is Smiling Again After Face Transplant

Fort Worth, Texas man Dallas Weins received a successful face transplant. Read More
Extinct Wooly Mammoth Could Walk the Earth Again within 5 Years

Scientists say that they have the capacity to clone a wooly mammoth within a five-year period. Read More
Thin Isn’t Everything: Unique Standards of Beauty Around the World

Learn about different concepts of beauty around the world, and a few tips to help yourself feel more confident about your own appearance. Read More
Meet Amasia, the Future Supercontintent that Combines America and Asia

North America, South America, and Asia will all combine into one supercontinent, Yale researchers say. Read More
Time-Tested Treatments to Cure the Common Winter Cold

If you want to get over your February cold, try some of these natural remedies for defeating your disease. Read More