Does Japanese Water Therapy Work to Lose Weight?

Japanese water therapy is the practice of consuming multiple glasses of room temperature water first thing in the morning.
In addition, it encourages taking 15-minute breaks between meals and snacks.
Many people doubt that this habit is a useful tool for losing weight, even though some claim that it has improved certain aspects of their health.
The effectiveness of Japanese water therapy for weight loss is discussed in this article.
Water therapy for weight loss
There haven't been many scientific studies on Japanese water therapy, and there's conflicting weight loss research for similar water consumption patterns.
Water therapy's hydration component, however, might aid in weight loss.
Remember that there are numerous other factors at play, including your general diet quality and level of exercise.
Weight loss may benefit from hydration
Since water occupies space in your stomach, drinking more water may make you feel more satisfied. Therefore, it might assist in preventing cravings and overeating, both of which can lead to unwelcome weight gain (1Trusted Source)
One study found that adults with excess weight or obesity who drank 2.1 cups (500 mL) of water 30 minutes before a meal consumed 13% less food than those who did not (2Trusted Source).
Similar findings from another study of middle-aged men were obtained (3Trusted Source).
In addition, a study found that adults' resting energy expenditure significantly increases when they drink water (REE). The term "REE" stands for "relative energy expenditure" (4Trusted Source).
Additionally, research indicates that drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages can lower calorie intake, which otherwise might promote weight gain (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Additionally reducing calorie intake, its 15-minute eating windows, and breaks in between meals and snacks may be helpful.
The study's conclusions are contradictory.
But some research has indicated that hydration has no impact on weight loss (7Trusted Source).
According to some studies, the 15-minute eating windows used in water therapy may hinder long-term weight loss because your gut doesn't have enough time to communicate its fullness to your brain. As a result, you might eat too quickly (8Trusted Source).
Children who ate quickly were three times more likely to gain weight than those who did not, according to one study (9Trusted Source).
On the other hand, eating more slowly is linked to a lower risk of obesity (10Trusted Source).
Initial weight loss from calorie restriction may occur, but it usually causes levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin to rise. This may be one of the factors contributing to the fact that only 20% of people who lose weight do so permanently (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
What is the water therapy's mode of operation?
Despite having its roots in Japan, water therapy has become widely popular thanks largely to word of mouth.
Japanese water therapy consists of two main parts.
Start by consuming four to five 6-ounce (180-mL) glasses of room-temperature water every morning on an empty stomach, 45 minutes before consuming any food or liquids. (At first, try consuming 1-2 glasses, then gradually acclimate to more.)
You then continue to drink water throughout the day, as usual, paying attention to your thirst signals.
Additionally, most proponents advise eating meals for 15 minutes at a time and taking a 2-hour break before consuming any additional food or liquids.
While on 5 benefits of aquatic therapy there are no limitations on what or how much you can eat, but long-term weight loss necessitates healthy eating practices in addition to hydration.
Although water therapy isn't meant to be used for a predetermined amount of time, some people report benefits after just a few weeks or months and keep using it as long as they get results.
What does the study suggest?
Advocates of water therapy contend that it lowers your risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure while also improving gut health, preventing constipation, and clearing your digestive system. Scientific data, however, does not back up such claims.
Contrarily, staying hydrated through regular water consumption may support optimal blood pressure, energy levels, and brain function as well as shield against headaches, constipation, and kidney stones (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
Remember that everyone has different needs for basic water. Although it is generally advised to drink 8 cups (1.9 liters) of water per day, there is little scientific evidence to back this recommendation (17Trusted Source).
Even so, if you adhere to these suggestions, water therapy might supply about half of your daily water requirements.
possible risks
Drinking enough water is good for your health overall, but too much water can also be harmful.
When you drink a lot of water quickly, a condition known as overhydration, or water intoxication, happens.
As a result, your blood's sodium concentration may drop significantly, creating the risky condition known as hyponatremia. This can cause nausea, vomiting, seizures, coma, and even death if left untreated (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
Even though hyponatremia is uncommon in healthy individuals with normally operating kidneys, it is best to refrain from consuming more than the 4 cups (945 mL) of water that healthy kidneys can filter in an hour (20Trusted Source).
Although most adults can probably safely drink the recommended 4-5 glasses of water in the morning, for some people it may be too much water to comfortably and safely consume. If you experience any discomfort, pay attention to your body and stop drinking water.