Drinking a glass of water before eating is one of the most common “tricks” to lose weight. Science has something to say

With the summer just around the corner, many people seek to lose weight quickly. We have seen it with challenges like Skinnytok, Shots of vinegar either Liquefied Céspes. In the midst of so many “miraculous solutions”, there is a advice that stands out for its simplicity: drinking a glass of water before each meal. It sounds very easy, but is it another myth détox or is there something true?

A glass of water. At first glance, it looks like a quite simple premise. Drinking water before eating can “favor satiety” and help eat more conscious way, as the media have explained as Telva either Vogue. In theory, when occupying space in the stomach, water would reduce the feeling of hunger. But like He has warned Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, of Harvard’s Faculty of Medicine, in an article for Harvard Health Publishing, “human physiology rarely follows such simple rules.”

Science behind. Dr. Shmerling He has evidenced That it was a premise “too pretty to be true.” In his article he has detailed that although drinking water before meals can generate a mild fullness of fullness – to activate the stomach mechanoreceptors – the effect is limited and passenger.

In fact, as you have continued arguing, some studies support the idea in older peoplethere is even evidence that suggests that, within a hypocaloric diet, who drink water before meals can lose more weight in 12 weeks than those who do not. However, there is a nuance to take into account and that is that There is no robust evidence of long -term effects or in large populations. And other associated theories –Like cold water burns calories by thermogenesis– They have been denied in recent studies.

Where there is consensus. The point is not in so much to drink extra water, but in what is stopped. Changing soft drinks, energy drinks or alcohol for water can have a real effect on weight loss. According to May Clinicthat simple gesture reduces the total consumption of calories without conscious effort. In addition, staying well hydrated improves physical performance, exercise resistance and recovery. Not because water “weights”, but because it helps sustain a more active and healthy lifestyle.

The shortcut culture. The popularity of tricks like this also responds to a social need: to find fast, simple and effortless solutions to a complex problem such as weight control. In a society obsessed with thinness – especially among young women – they proliferate The calls Life Hacks that promise immediate results. As He already explained for Xataka The psychologist specialized in TCA, Sara Bolo, the worrying thing is that many of these tips end in apparently “healthy” behaviors, but hide eating disorders.

It is simply water. In a context where “fast tricks” abound, it is advisable to remember that, as Dr. Shmerling has summarized: “If you think it works for you, there is no damage. Remember that no glass of water replaces a balanced diet.”

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