A Liter of Water a Day- Easiest and Cheapest Way to Lose Weight

A latest review based on previous studies offers all dieters a cheap and easy weight loss regime that works. All they have to follow is a simple mantra that is attainable-consume a liter of water a day.

The latest review focuses on the effect of water on weight loss and it recommends all those who want to shed off extra pounds to consume at least one liter of water per day.

The new review on water studies was led by Rebecca Muckelbauer, researcher at the Berlin School of Public Health, Charite University Medical Center Berlin in Germany and Brenda Davy from Virginia Tech University in the United States.

A study conducted earlier found that middle aged and older adults who drank two cups of water before a meal lost nearly 4 pounds when compared to those who didn't consume extra water.  The researchers say that water curbs hunger lowering the intake of calorie. On the other hand, other studies showed a strong association between weight loss and intake of 1 liter of water. Yet there is no complete understanding of the mechanism behind this.

Another theory put forward by Muckelbauer is called the 'water induced thermogenesis' where water intake leads to expenditure of energy. Muckelbauer admits that it is "not very well studied, reports Counsel & Heal.

An expert in nutrition science, Muckelbauer was often asked by people if they could lose weight by drinking water. She didn't know the answer, hence, she decided to review the studies conducted on water and weight loss.

 The latest review is based on 11 previous studies that focused on the impact of water on diet. Out of these, three clearly state that excess intake of water helps in increased weight loss.

They identified that water consumption was not positively linked with weight loss. Some studies showed that obese people consumed more water than normal weight people. Though water intake was not directly linked to weight loss, the researchers emphasized on the need to replace beverages and other fizzy drinks with water in order to lose weight effectively.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.