ater is an often overlooked factor in health and nutrition. Many recommendations abound as to how much water to drink, although this will vary from person to person. Water is required for the correct functioning of metabolic pathways, with hydrolysis reactions requiring water and condensation reactions producing water. Cellular respiration produces metabolic water as a by-product and this can contribute around 10 % of the water needs of humans (but up to 100 % of the water needs of some birds and desert animals). Paradoxically however, water is required in high amounts to lose body fat. For example, the oxidation of 500 g fat produces large quantities (~550 g) of water. Protein and carbohydrate oxidation also produce metabolic water, but only around half that of fat. If water intake is not adequate, the efficiency of this oxidation process is reduced in order to prevent excessive water loss. Drinking adequate water may therefore aid weight loss as it encourages the removal of metabolic water.
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