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Response to ‘Hydration increases cell metabolism’

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, page 386 (2009)Cite this article

Blockade with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor has often resulted in increased water intake in animals. The mechanism for this phenomenon is unknown, and we have suggested that it could be due to a primary thirst sensation mediated by the brain to increase water intake, or a compensatory response secondary to increased urinary water loss, possibly due to a reduction in angiotensin II-mediated vasopressin release.1 In their letter (above), Thornton and colleagues make the interesting observation that increased water intake is associated in the literature with lean body weight and increased cellular metabolism, which suggests that the drinking of water could be a useful strategy in the pursuit of reduced body weight and improved glucose control.

One of the major points made by our correspondents is the slow growth rate of the Brattleboro rat. This animal cannot synthesise vasopressin, so the drive to drink 250 ml per day (which is more than three times what we observed in rats treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) is secondary to the water loss due to an inability to concentrate the urine. In these animals, increased energy expenditure could be due to the increased locomotor activity involved in obtaining and drinking the water and warming it from room to core temperature. Furthermore, Boschmann et al.2 found that ingestion of 500 ml of water, but not saline, increased thermogenesis, suggesting that reduced osmolality may be involved in the increased energy expenditure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Victoria University, St Albans, Victoria, Australia

    M L Mathai

  2. Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    M L Mathai

  3. School of Psychological Science, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

    R S Weisinger

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  1. M L Mathai
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  2. R S Weisinger
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Correspondence to M L Mathai.

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Mathai, M., Weisinger, R. Response to ‘Hydration increases cell metabolism’. Int J Obes 33, 386 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.276

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