What Drinking 1% More Water Can Do

Drinking water helps active adults keep up with their hydration needs, which is important for maintaining athletic performance. New research from the University of Illinois suggests increasing total daily water consumption by as little as 1% can lead to reductions in calories, fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.
 
By analyzing data on 18,300 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2012, scientists figured the average person drank 4.2 cups or water a day, accounting for around 30% of their daily water intake. This takes into account the water component of other beverages.
 
Because the average study subject also got 125 calories from sugar sweetened drinks and 432 calories from low-nutrition, calorie dense discretionary foods, researchers estimated a 1% increase in daily water consumption was associated with a 8.6 calorie reduction of discretionary foods along with the fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol they contain.