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Does drinking water make your stomach flat?


Many people wonder if drinking more water can help make their stomachs flatter. There are some reasons why people think drinking water may help:

  • Drinking more water can help reduce bloating, which makes your stomach look flatter.
  • Staying hydrated may promote weight loss, which can slim your stomach over time.
  • Some claim that drinking cold water burns calories, which could also contribute to a flatter tummy.

However, the link between drinking more water and getting a flatter stomach is complicated. This article examines the evidence behind whether increasing your water intake can actually help make your stomach slimmer and less bloated.

Does Drinking Water Reduce Bloating?

Bloating refers to that feeling when your belly feels swollen or enlarged. It often leads your stomach to protrude outward and look rounder than usual.

Bloating is usually caused by excess gas production or disturbances in the movement of food and gas through your digestive tract (1).

It’s a common problem that can be triggered by:

  • Overeating
  • Eating certain foods like beans, cabbage, broccoli and dairy
  • Constipation
  • Food intolerances
  • Stress
  • Hormonal changes
  • Some medications

Bloating may also happen if you’re unable to pass gas or have a bowel movement. The gas and stool can accumulate in your intestines and cause your belly to swell (2).

Because bloating involves fluid accumulation and gas, it makes sense that drinking more water could potentially help relieve it.

Staying hydrated keeps things moving through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Additionally, Some studies have found that increased fluid intake may promote regular bowel movements and help food and gas pass through your intestines more quickly (3, 4).

One study gave 22 people with functional constipation 1 liter of mineral water to drink every day. After 2 weeks, participants reported reduced abdominal bloating, along with improvements in constipation and other symptoms (4).

Some evidence also indicates that carbonated water, specifically, may help relieve bloating.

In a 7-day study, 52 people who reported feeling bloated drank 750 ml of sparkling mineral water every day. At the end of the study, bloating severity was reduced by 17% (5).

Additionally, several studies have found that drinking sparkling mineral water increases how often healthy people have bowel movements (6, 7).

This indicates that bubbly water may specifically help move gas and stool through your digestive tract to relieve bloating.

Summary

Some research shows that increasing your fluid intake may help relieve bloating, especially from carbonated beverages like sparkling water. Proper hydration keeps your digestive system moving and may help food and gas pass through your body more rapidly.

Does Drinking More Water Promote Weight Loss?

Losing weight is one of the most effective ways to help slim your stomach. And some evidence shows that drinking more water may potentially promote weight loss.

In particular, drinking water may increase your resting energy expenditure, meaning it can slightly increase the number of calories you burn throughout the day (8).

This is thought to work because drinking cold water raises your body temperature a bit, so your body uses extra calories to cool back down. Drinking water before meals may also naturally help reduce your appetite (9, 10).

In one study, 48 overweight and obese adults drank 8 or fewer cups (2 liters) of plain water daily for 12 weeks. They lost 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg) more, on average, than the non-water group (11).

Another study followed 84 obese adults who drank 8 cups (2 liters) of water 30 minutes before their main meals over 12 weeks. They lost 11 pounds (5 kg) more than the control group (12).

What’s more, several other studies have found that increasing water intake may promote loss of body fat, including belly fat specifically (10, 13).

One 24-week study gave overweight adults 2 cups (500 ml) of water right before meals. The water group lost 44% more belly fat than the non-water group (10).

Summary

Some evidence indicates that drinking more water, especially before meals, may promote modest weight loss. This can lead to a reduction of stomach fat over time.

Does Cold Water Burn More Calories?

Drinking more water is beneficial for health and may promote weight loss.

However, some claim that drinking cold water can burn significantly more calories than room-temperature water.

The theory is that your body has to work harder to warm up cold water to body temperature. This would require your body to burn extra calories for heat production.

But multiple studies have concluded that the effect, if any, would be negligible.

For example, one study showed that drinking 500 ml of ice-cold water burned just 8.4 additional calories compared to room-temperature water (14).

Another study in obese children found no difference in calories burned between cold and hot water (15).

Even if cold water did burn extra calories through thermogenesis, the number of calories would likely still be insignificant in terms of fat loss.

For instance, a 190-pound (86 kg) person would expect to burn just 62 extra calories drinking 2 liters of ice-cold water per day, compared to the same amount of room-temperature water.

This minimal calorie difference would not be meaningful for weight loss over the long term.

Summary

Some people claim that drinking cold water burns significantly more calories because your body has to warm it up. However, studies have shown that the potential extra calorie burn from cold water is negligible.

Water-Rich Foods for Reduced Bloating

While plain water is best for hydration, you can also get water from the foods you eat.

Many foods have a high water content and can help with hydration.

Plus, some high-water foods like cucumber and melon contain compounds that limit gas production and help your body flush out excess fluid (16, 17).

Here are some water-rich fruits and vegetables that may help relieve bloating:

Watermelon

Watermelon is one of the most hydrating fruits. It’s made up of over 90% water and contains electrolytes that help keep you hydrated.
Studies indicate that watermelon may relieve fluid retention, which is linked to bloating (17).

Cucumber

Cucumbers are composed of 95% water. They contain fiber and quercetin, an antioxidant that may aid digestion and limit bloating (16, 18).

Strawberries

Strawberries have a high water and fiber content. They also provide antioxidants like ellagic acid, which helps limit fluid retention in animal studies (19, 20).

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is comprised of 90% water and delivers fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline, all of which have been linked to reduced bloating (21, 22).

Broccoli

While cruciferous vegetables like broccoli may cause bloating for some people, their high fiber and water content can aid digestion and relieve bloating for others (23).

Celery

Celery is made up of 95% water. It contains antioxidants and polysaccharides that promote digestive health and limit inflammation (24).

Spinach

Spinach provides 91% water plus fiber, anti-inflammatory compounds and magnesium, which helps draw water into your intestines to relieve bloating (25).

Summary

Eating water-rich fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli, celery and spinach may help hydrate you and relieve bloating.

Food Water Content
Watermelon 92%
Cucumber 95%
Strawberries 91%
Cantaloupe 90%
Broccoli 91%
Celery 95%
Spinach 91%

Tips for Reducing Bloating

Aside from staying hydrated, several other tips can help reduce bloating. Here are some evidence-based ways to help minimize bloating:

  • Limit salty foods: Salt causes your body to retain more fluid, which can lead to bloating (26).
  • Eat more slowly: Eating too quickly can introduce excess air into your digestive tract, resulting in bloating. Eating slower gives your body time to register fullness (27).
  • Avoid chewing gum: Swallowing air while chewing can cause bloating. Avoid gum to minimize air swallowing (28).
  • Don’t smoke: Smoking causes you to swallow air, which can lead to bloating. Quitting can improve bloating (29).
  • Increase fiber slowly: Suddenly adding fiber supplements can produce gas and bloating. Increase fiber slowly over a few weeks (30).
  • Take a probiotic: Probiotics may help digest food and reduce gas production. They may help relieve bloating (31).
  • Move more: Exercise helps release gas and stool, preventing it from accumulating in your intestines (32).
  • Massage your stomach: Lightly massaging your stomach in a clockwise motion can help move gas through your intestines (33).

Does Drinking Water Flatten Your Stomach?

Based on the evidence, staying well hydrated may help reduce temporary bloating by supporting regular bowel function and digestion.

It may also potentially promote weight loss by increasing your metabolic rate and reducing appetite slightly. Over time, this can lead to a trimmer stomach.

However, there is no evidence that simply drinking more water drastically shrinks your stomach or directly burns belly fat.

For the most significant impact, you need to pair increased water intake with other helpful strategies like eating more fiber, exercising and reducing your calorie intake.

Here are some tips to maximize water’s potential impact on a flatter stomach:

  • Drink water before meals to reduce appetite.
  • Always choose water over sugary beverages to limit calorie intake.
  • Aim to drink at least 8 cups (2 liters) daily.
  • Include high-water fruits and veggies to boost hydration.
  • Limit gas-producing foods and beverages that can cause bloating.
  • Consider carbonated water to help food and gas move through your system.
  • Don’t rely solely on water — pair more water intake with diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes.

The Bottom Line

Drinking more water, especially before meals, may help temporarily reduce bloating. This can lead to a flatter stomach.

Adequate water intake may also promote weight loss, which can slim your stomach when paired with proper diet and regular exercise.

However, simply drinking more water does not drastically burn belly fat or make your stomach flat overnight. The effects are modest compared to other weight loss strategies.

That being said, proper hydration is important for overall health. Drinking more high-quality fluids like water is a simple way to potentially improve your digestion, energy, weight and bloating issues.

At the end of the day, drinking more water can be an easy component of a healthy lifestyle and may lead to a flatter stomach over time.