Study: 1% Increase in Plain Water Consumption Lowers Daily Caloric Intake Up To 205 Calories

Drinking more water can reduce daily sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and calorie intake, according to a new study.

To determine how plain water consumption relates to calorie intake and diet, researchers followed 18,311 adults aged 18 years and older who were participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2012.

Participants were asked to recall their diet and plain water intake from 2 nonconsecutive days. Then researchers calculated the proportion of participants’ plain water intake as the percentage of total daily water intake.

Participants drank an average of 4.2 cups of plain water daily, about 30% of their total daily water intake.

After analyzing the data, researchers found that a 1% increase in daily plain water consumption led to a reduction of sugar intake by 5 to 18 grams, sodium intake by 78 to 235 grams, and cholesterol intake by 7 to 21 grams. It also lowered participants’ daily calorie intake by 68 to 205 calories.

“Promoting plain water intake could be a useful public health strategy for reducing energy and targeted nutrient consumption in US adults, which warrants confirmation in future controlled interventions,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

An R, ‎McCaffrey J. Plain water consumption in relation to energy intake and diet quality among US adults, 2005–2012. J Hum Nutr Diet. Published online February 22, 2016. doi:10.1111/jhn.12368.