Water is vital for our body , but it can also be an interesting tool in the fight against obesity. Now, a team of scientists from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) has concluded in their latest study that drinking 500 ml of water 30 minutes before any meal (breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner) helps weight loss. The work has been published in Obesity magazine.
The researchers conducted an experiment with 84 obese adults that lasted for 12 weeks . The participants were divided into two groups randomly assigned. The first group had to consume 500 ml of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner; every day for 12 weeks. The second group represented the control set. After the follow-up period, the group that drank this amount of water half an hour before meals increased their weight loss by 1.3 kgs more compared to those who did not drink any water before eating (who lost an average of 0.8 kgs).
“ The beauty of these finds is in the simplicity . Just drinking a pint of water, three times a day, before main meals can help reduce your weight, ”explains Helen Parretti, leader of the study.
The experts now hope to be able to carry out a trial with a larger sample and also in the longer term to gain a better understanding of how weight loss is influenced by water intake before meals.
“ Losing a few extra pounds over the course of a year can be significant for an individual, and this could be an easy way to help with weight loss. It is a simple message that has the potential to make a real contribution to public health, ”clarifies Parretti.
