I have always tried my best to cut down on the amount of sugary drinks I consume each day.  The fresh and alluring taste of such soft drinks as Coca-Cola can really bring someone to their knees.  Just the sound of a can being opened, as you hear the bubbles fizz out, is intoxicating.  However, knowing that these beverages carry a large amount of sugar, I usually opt for a tall glass of water instead.

I recently came across a neat article by Discovery News that discusses studies conducted to determine if individuals lost weight by drinking water.  One study, conducted by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that adults middle aged and older, who were told to drink two glasses of water thirty minutes before breakfast, ate 13% less than those who did not drink water before their meals.  Both groups consisted of overweight individuals, and each person was allowed to eat as much food as they desired.

The next experiment in the study examined each participant’s behavior, and allowed researchers to observe if it would lead to weight loss.  The researchers started by splitting the group in half and having all of the participants eat healthy meals that did not go over 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day.  One half of the group was to follow a regimen of drinking a 16-ounce bottle of water before all three meals, while the other half was allowed to drink water as they pleased.

Within twelve weeks the first half lost an average of 15.5lbs, while the other latter half lost an average of about 11 lbs.  Although, the same experiments were conducted in a study on young adults and researchers could not recreate the same results.  This could be due to biological effects, since water tends to keep us fuller as we get older.  Nonetheless, there is still hope for young adults looking to shed a few pounds.  There is some evidence that indicates greater water consumption might produce more heat, which can then boost metabolism.

Although in hundreds of studies done by Barry Popkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, prove that people eat just as much no matter how many calories they consume from drinking. So it may not be a definite assumption whether water can lead to weight but it is the healthiest beverage out there!