Many studies over the years have shown the benefits of drinking water. In reference to losing weight, the greatest benefit is the positive affect water has on your metabolic rate.

Water promotes a thermogenic state, which in return increases your metabolic rate. The faster your metabolism, the slower your propensity to gain weight.

But is it really water that I am talking about? No. What I am really referring to is hydration. The human body works hard at keeping a certain amount of water and salt in your tissues relative to the amount of water and salt in your blood.

Proper hydration is a reflection of the correct balance of water and salt that exists between your blood and the surrounding tissues. Your diet should help your body sustain the correct amount of water and salt in your blood and not disrupt the existing balance between your blood and tissues.

Let me explain...

Water & Salt Balance

True hydration is sustaining an amount of water in your blood relative to your tissues that reflects the overall water and salt balance your body works at creating. Looking at the graphic, fluids that cause water to move out of your blood or into your blood are not ideally hydrating. <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.weight-loss-professional.com/images/tonicity.jpg" width="388" height="377" border=0 alt="Tonicity">

Salt Moves Water

For a fluid that you drink to be hydrating it should have little effect on moving water. Water will always move to the environment with the higher amount of salt. Looking again at the three possible "tonicity" states, which one is the most hydrating?

Hypotonic Fluid -- This dilutes your blood and now the surrounding tissues have more salts. Water moves out of your blood and into the tissues where the greatest amount of salt resides. This re-establishes the water/salt balance.

Isotonic -- Does not alter the salt concentration in your blood. There is no disruption of the water/salt balance.

Hypertonic Fluids -- This adds salt to your blood and now the surrounding tissues have less salt. Water moves into your blood.

This is not hydrating because the water that moves into your blood is trying to re-establish the correct balance. It's not extra water to help hydrate but needed water to reach the proper balance.

Steps to Proper Hydration

Because of our high salt diets, most Americans need to drink filtered water. However, it's not necessary to drink 15 glasses a day that some diet plans recommend.

Instead, drink 1 glass of filtered water with each meal and drink an additional 2 glasses of filtered water throughout the day. This should come out to about 5-7 glasses of filtered water per day for most Americans (that's assuming your eating the proper number of meals per day).

The remaining fluids you drink need to have the same amount of salt as your blood. This type of fluid keeps your blood isotonic to the surrounding tissues. Isotonic fluids have no net effect on moving water and you sustain a proper level of hydration.

The best isotonic fluid to drink (in my opinion), diluted gatorade. Mix water with gatorade in equal proportions and enjoy! Drink as much as you like since it's isotonic to your blood and won't cause water to move into or out of your blood.

Conclusion

Think more in terms of proper hydration and not disrupting the water/salt balance your body worked hard at creating. It's not about drinking more water, but more about drinking the right fluids.

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD
Chief Medical Consultant
Diet Basics Website
About the Author
Dr. Smith is a weight management and preventative medicine expert. He currently is the Chief Medical Consultant for the Diet Basics website. Please visit his site at www.weight-loss-professional.com