Drink another glass of water

Charlyn Fargo, Contributor

Who knew that if you drink less than a couple of glasses of water each day, you may be more likely to develop abnormally high blood sugar? This information comes from a new study, which reports that when blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to fit the definition of diabetes, it's often diagnosed as pre-diabetes. The condition is a risk, of course, for developing the disease itself.

In the new study, adults who drank only half a litre of water (about two glasses) or less each day were more likely to develop blood sugar levels in the pre-diabetes range versus people who drank more water. But whether simply drinking water will cut your risk of blood sugar problems isn't for sure.

Research findings

The findings show a correlation between water intake and blood sugar, but researchers aren't certain whether that proves a cause-and-effect relationship, said senior researcher Lise Bankir of the French national research institute INSERM.

The findings are based on 3,615 French adults who were between the ages of 30 and 65 and had normal blood sugar levels at the outset. About 19 per cent said they drank less than half a litre (17 ounces) of water each day, while the rest drank up to a litre or more. Over the next nine years, 565 study participants developed abnormally high blood sugar and 202 developed type 2 diabetes.

When the researchers looked at the participants' risk according to water intake, they found that people who drank at least 17 ounces of water per day were 28 per cent less likely to develop high blood sugar than those who drank less than that amount.

However, because of the small size of the study, no strong statistical link could be made between water intake and risk of developing diabetes. An obvious explanation for the connection with high blood sugar would be that people who drink little water may instead be reaching for sugary drinks - which could lead to weight gain and impaired blood-sugar control.

But Bankir and her colleagues accounted for sugary drinks and alcohol, as well as people's body weight at the start of the study, their reported exercise levels and certain other health factors. And the link between low water intake and high blood sugar persisted.

The bottom line? Replacing sugary, high-calorie drinks with water is a good idea for all of us. Drinking at least 17 ounces of water a day is an even better idea.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from at Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.