AGEs You Know?

Do You Know Your AGE?

How and Why to
Prevent AGE Damage
Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) may be a
fact of life, but fighting them may extend your life.
By Will Block

f we may be so bold, which would you rather have and hold—GOLD or MOLD? OK, it’s a trick question (please don’t scold), because if truth be told, you wouldn’t want either—they’d leave you cold if you knew they were both about . . . old.

Old people, you see, are the victims of AGE—Advanced Glycation Endproducts, of which GOLD and MOLD are two prominent examples. The acronyms stand for glyoxallysine dimer and methylglyoxallysine dimer, respectively, but don’t worry—there won’t be a quiz on that. It would be wise, however, for you to become better informed about AGE (or AGEs, as they’re often called), because these chemical compounds are a key factor in the aging process.

As you will see, AGEs are formed inside your body through normal metabolism and aging, and outside your body during the preparation of some foods you eat. They’re implicated in the development or exacerbation of numerous degenerative diseases associated with aging, notably type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and other dementias, cataracts, retinal dysfunction, kidney failure, nerve damage, arthritis, and cancer.

Supplements Can Slow AGEing

It’s impossible, alas, to avoid AGEs altogether—their formation begins during early embryonic development and continues steadily for the rest of our lives. The body’s mechanisms for removing unwanted substances cannot keep up, because the AGEs are resistant to this process. Therefore, even if every other factor in the aging process could be magically eliminated, it would still be impossible to avoid aging. The good news, however, is that the “AGEing” process can be slowed down—and so, therefore, can the aging process. There are two ways to do this. Ideally, we should do both.

One way to slow AGEing involves the use of certain supplements that have been shown—in laboratory experiments, animal studies, or human clinical trials—to inhibit the formation of AGEs. Notable in this regard are: benfotiamine, a fat-soluble form of thiamine (vitamin B1); the amino acid histidine; the dipeptidecarnosine, which consists of linked histidine and beta-alanine; alpha-lipoic acid, a saturated fatty acid renowned for its potent and versatile antioxidant actions; and rutin, a flavonoid found in many plants, notably buckwheat, black tea, and apple skins.*

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*Some of the evidence for these compounds was discussed in “Reducing Glycation Reactions for Better Health and Longer Life” in the February 2008 issue.

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No! Nooo!

The other way to slow AGEing is to (are you sitting down?) avoid, as much as possible, browning the foods that you cook. Just as the colors red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple are usually signs of exceptional healthfulness in fruits and vegetables (these colors come mostly from flavonoids), the color brown should be considered a “red flag” warning ofunhealthfulness in the crusts of bakery products and in meats or vegetables that have been baked, roasted, broiled, grilled, fried, sautéed, etc. It’s better for your health to steam, boil, or stew the meats and veggies.1

I can hear you now: “No! Nooo!” I know, I knooow. Forgoing the most delicious preparation methods seems almost insane—like giving up sweets.† But it does have its rewards: better health and longer life.

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†For some good news on the sweets front, see the article on page 11 of this issue. That article and this one share an emphasis on the importance of glycemic control for maintaining good health.

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A Prediction Ignored, Then Verified

Louis Camille Maillard (1878–1936)

To understand AGEs (about which there is much confusion in the popular literature), we need to go back a century, to prewar Paris. In 1912, a young French physician and chemist named Louis Camille Maillard (Mah·YAHR) began investigating the chemical reactions between nutrient sugars (such as glucose and fructose) and amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

When Maillard heated aqueous solutions of sugars and amino acids for a few hours, they turned a yellow-brown color, the result of a series of reactions that yielded a witches’ brew of products. Significantly, the same phenomenon occurred, albeit much more slowly, when he simply allowed the solutions to sit for a few weeks under physiological conditions (37ºC, pH 7.4).

Maillard had discovered a series of complex and important chemical reactions that now bear his name:Maillard reactions. He predicted that they would occur in the human body, especially in diabetic patients because of their chronically high glucose (blood sugar) levels. This prophetic insight went unnoticed for half a century, however, and he did not live to see it realized.

In 1971, scientists investigating the blood of diabetic patients discovered that some of the hemoglobin wasglycated. Glycation—the first step in the Maillard reactions—is the chemical attachment of a sugar molecule (either free or bound in a polysaccharide, such as starch) to an amino acid (either free or bound in a protein, such as hemoglobin). As the ensuing reactions advance through numerous complex stages, they can lead to a great variety of endproducts, most of which are harmful to us. These are the “advanced glycation endproducts” we now call AGEs.

AGEs Make Diabetes a Kind of Accelerated Aging

The sugar of greatest importance to us is glucose, because it’s the principal product of carbohydrate digestion, and it’s our principal fuel for energy metabolism. Glucose is among the least reactive of the nutrient sugars in the Maillard reactions. This may have led, through natural selection, to its being the evolutionarily favored sugar in mammalian species.2,3

The glycation reactivity of fructose (fruit sugar), on the other hand, is about ten times higher than that of glucose. Fructose is found in honey and many fruits, and it’s also one-half of the sucrose (table sugar) molecule, the other half being glucose. The exceptional propensity of fructose to produce AGEs is another reason why we (diabetics especially) should minimize our intake of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup.

Because diabetics tend to have higher glucose levels than nondiabetics, they also have higher AGE levels at any given age, compared with nondiabetic individuals. And because AGEs form earlier in life and more rapidly in these patients, diabetes can be thought of as an accelerated form of aging. Much evidence suggests that AGEs are involved in almost all the complications of diabetes, which arise from damage to blood vessels throughout the body.4

AGEs—A Haphazard Process

Unlike most biologically important reactions, which are catalyzed by enzymes, glycation is not catalyzed. It’s a nonenzymatic version of a common and necessary biochemical process calledglycosylation, which is tightly controlled as to the time, place, and extent of its occurrence. The lack of enzymatic control over the glycation process means that this reaction can occur haphazardly—anytime, anywhere, to an extent limited only by the availability of the reactants—and it does, with generally harmful results that tend to accumulate over time.

Now you get the picture: there’s nothing to restrain glucose from reacting with amino acids and proteins, which are everywhere in the body. Since we can’t live without glucose, we can’t avoid AGEs—but we can slow down their formation. Another bit of good news is that not all glucose will react similarly with all proteins (of which there are about 25,000 different kinds in humans)—the extent of the reaction depends on a myriad of factors that can vary greatly throughout the body. But, as we saw above, the list of “hot spots” is large, and the long-term consequences are horrendous.

Most AGEs Are Incredibly Yummy

So much for the AGEs that form in our bodies as a result of normal metabolism. What about the ones we ingest with our food? Isn’t it adding insult to injury to eat the very kinds of compounds we’re trying to minimize the formation of in our bodies? Of course it is, but if you’re the kind of person who likes food, you probably love dietary AGEs (which should be called DAGEs), because they happen to be among the tastiest compounds known. (This is another of Ma Nature’s cruel jokes at our expense.)

It’s no accident that many AGEs are found in commercial food flavorings designed to make all kinds of foods taste even better, as though they’d been browned. (The Maillard reactions are, in fact, the basis of the flavoring industry.) Nor is it an accident that the bits of browned stuff left over in the frying or roasting pan, which celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse calls “yum-yums,” are yummy because of the Maillard browning, which is the principal source of DAGEs.

Oh, What a Tangled Web Maillard Wove

Over 1000 DAGEs are currently known, and there are probably many more. They’re the products of Maillard reactions occurring under dry conditions at temperatures above about 120ºC (248ºF). The tangled web of chemical reactions is so complex that many chemists have spent their whole lives trying to unravel it. The caramelization (browning) of sugar, by the way, may appear to be a Maillard-type process, but it’s not—the chemistry is entirely different.

In books on the chemistry of cooking, the Maillard reactions are portrayed in a good light because of the gustatory wonders they produce. Chefs love them, naturally, and they’re not about to commit professional suicide by shunning them just because some scientists recommend it. In any case, the books claim that the Maillard reactions occur only with high, dry heat, not at the lower temperatures involved in cooking with water, where the maximum is 100ºC (212ºF). That may be true in the kitchen, where time scales are usually very short, but in real life, as Maillard himself showed, the process does occur—very slowly—even under cool, wet conditions.

You Are So Cool (and Wet)

Not to get too personal, but your body, compared with an oven or barbeque, is rather cool and wet, and the Maillard reactions will proceed, slowly but surely, for all the days of your life. You could, however, resist this slow tide by taking antiglycating supplements every day.

And given a choice between eating browned foods that are high in Maillard products, or water-cooked foods that have virtually none . . . well, that too is a choice that only you can make. (Let’s hope the federal health police don’t someday try to make it for you.)

AGEs Large and Small There are hundreds of known, naturally occurring AGEs produced by the Maillard reactions in our bodies. Some of these are very large molecules produced by the chemical cross-linking—induced by sugars—of proteins that were never intended to be linked. This produces a kind of cellular “gunk,” which in principle is not unlike the crud that builds up in your car’s engine over time. In both cases, performance is impaired, and the system can be brought to a premature halt if suitable measures are not taken. One example of the slow damage due to cross-linking is the gradual stiffening of the protein collagen, which is the principal component of our connective tissue and cartilage. The resulting loss of tissue elasticity can occur in the heart, blood vessels, skin, eyes, kidneys, joints, etc., with results that older people know all too well. Many other AGEs are relatively small degradation products of the Maillard reactions, and some of these contain a reactive chemical group called the carbonyl group, R2C=O. [The carbonyl is the C=O part; the two Rs can be almost anything but hydrogen atoms, as, e.g., in acetone, (CH3)2C=O, which contains two methyl groups.] Carbonyl compounds are common in organic chemistry, and many of them instigate harmful chemical reactions in living organisms. In fact, the glycation reaction that begins the Maillard process involves a carbonyl group on the sugar molecule reacting with the amino group of an amino acid. The spectrum of damage caused by carbonyl compounds is calledcarbonyl stress. It’s analogous to the oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species, including free radicals. AGEs of a sort can also be formed, by the way, by the reactions of sugars or other reactive carbonyl compounds with two other important types of biological molecules: lipids (fats) and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). These AGEs too are deleterious to our health.

References

1. Harding A. How food is prepared important to health: study. Reuters Health, May 7, 2007.
2. Ahmed N. Advanced glycation endproducts—role in pathology of diabetic complications. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2005;67:3-21.
3. Ulrich P, Cerami A. Protein glycation, diabetes, and aging. Recent Prog Horm Res 2001;56:1-21.
4. Peppa M, Uribarri J, Vlassara H. Glucose, advanced glycation end products, and diabetes complications: what is new and what works. Clin Diabetes 2003;21(4):186-7.

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Will Block is the publisher and editorial director of Life Enhancement magazine.

Water Metabolism

WATER METABOLISM.

UNIQUE   PROPERTIES  OF  H2O
•Powerful solvent for ionic & neutral molecules.
•Dissociation of macromolecules of the cell along with dilute salt solutions.
•Influence on the structural & functional     components of the cell.
•Cooling of the body by evaporation of moisture in the lungs &from the skin.

WATER
•Most abundant compound in the body (65-95% of body weight)

Disorders of water and sodium homeostasis are very common problems encountered in clinical medicine. Disorders of water metabolism are divided into hyperosmolar and hypoosmolar states, with hyperosmolar disorders characterized by a deficit of body water in relation to body solute and hypoosmolar disorders characterized by an excess of body water in relation to total body solute. This article briefly reviews the physiology of hyperosmolar and hypoosmolar syndromes, then focuses on a discussion of the pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of specific pre- and postoperative disorders of water metabolism in patients with pituitary lesions.

Normal Physiology of Hypothalamic Pituitary Regulation.

The anterior pituitary is a complex heterogeneous gland that exerts a central role in the integration of several regulatory systems. Its six key hormones affect peripheral glands or target tissues and are essential for reproduction, growth and development, metabolism, adaptation to external environmental changes, and stress. Each of the pituitary hormones is regulated by the central nervous system through neuroendocrine pathways involving the hypothalamus, by feedback effects from peripheral target gland hormones, and by intrapituitary mechanisms. The hormones are secreted in a pulsatile manner, which is distinct for each hormone and reflects the influence of its individual neuroendocrine control mechanisms.

Water and salt metabolism.

Author(s) : STANDARD, S.

Author Affiliation : New York.

Journal article : Surg. Qynecol. Obstet. Internat. Abst. Surg. 1938 Vol.67 pp.301-320

Abstract : The literature on water and salt metabolism is reviewed. lesions of the gastro-intestinal tract are classified into pylorio obstruction producing dehydration and alkalosis, duodenal fistula producing dehydration and acidosis, and intestinal obstruction or fistula producing varying degrees of dehydration and, hypochloraemia without disturbance of acid base balance. The methods available for replacement of water and chloride are detailed and indications for their use discussed. Parenteral administration of fluids and, salt has reduced the mortality rate considerably in intestinal obstruction. A. Lyall

Chapter 1

Sodium and Water Metabolism.

Disorders of salt and water homeostasis result in a
variety of clinical syndromes such as dehydration,
oedema, hyponatraemia and hypernatraemia.
Patients with these disorders require careful
clinical evaluation prior to appropriate therapy, and
this evaluation will not be satisfactory unless the
clinician has an adequate grasp of the
physiological principles involved.

Furthermore it should be emphasised that in these
subjects the most important investigation is the
clinical examination, particularly the history and
the evaluation of the patient's hydration status.
Diagnosis is often made on clinical grounds and
laboratory tests should be used to confirm a
clinical impression and to uncover specific
abnormalities such as hypernatraemia, renal
failure and the like.

A number of definitions, which may be new to the
reader, are used throughout the chapter and are
appropriately dealt with in the body of the text. Two
terms which recur are osmolality and tonicity which
require some explanation.

Osmolality

The osmolality of a fluid is a measure of the total
number of particles (ions, molecules) present in
solution. It differs from the closely related term,
osmolarity, in that it is expressed in millimoles per
kilogram (concentrations per mass) of solvent
(water in the case of plasma) whilst osmolarity is
expressed in millimoles per litre (concentrations
per volume) of solution. Both osmolality and
osmolarity are units of measurement of osmotic
effects; however, osmolality is a thermo-
dynamically more precise expression than
osmolarity because:

• Solution concentrations expressed on a weight
basis are temperature independent, while those
based on volume (e.g., osmolarity) will vary with
temperature in a manner dependent on the thermal
expansion of the solution.

• It is the osmolal, not the osmolar, concentration
which exerts an effect across the cell membrane
and which is controlled by homeostatic mechanisms.

This is because of the volume occupied by
the solid phase of plasma (made up mainly of its
protein and lipid content) which in normal plasma
is about 7% of the plasma volume. Dissolved
particles are confined to the aqueous phase of
plasma.

A one osmolal solution is defined to contain 1
osmole/kg water; however, the term milliosmole/kg
(mOsm/kg) which should have been used for the
relatively low osmolalities of physiological fluids is
not an SI unit and mmol/kg is recommended to be
used in its stead. The plasma osmolality is normally
295±5 mmol/kg.

As we shall see later, the distribution of water
across biological membranes separating different
compartments depends on the concentration
difference of particles between the two
compartments. On a per unit volume basis there
will be a larger number of small molecular weight
particles which will exert a greater osmotic effect,
as compared to bigger particles.

Thus the major contributors to plasma osmolality
are  Na+, K+ and their associated anions
(mainly CI" and HCCy), urea and glucose.
Plasma proteins, because of their massive sizes,
exert a relatively insignificant osmotic effect,
individually or as a group. In practice, plasma
osmolality can either be measured or calculated
(see below).

Measured plasma osmolality. This is obtained
using osmometers which measure colligative
properties such as freezing point depression or
vapour pressure. It gives a measure of the total
osmolality of the solution — the sum of the
osmotic effects exerted by all the ions and
molecules present in the solution across a
membrane which, unlike biological ones, is
permeable to water.

Calculated plasma osmolarity. As sodium is the
major cation of the extracellular fluid (interstitial fluid
or plasma) its osmolarity can be roughly estimated
from the following equation:

Calculated ECF osmolarity (mmol/L) =

2 x [Na+]* + [urea]* + [glucose]*

* (plasma analyte values expressed in mmol/L)

Water Metabolism

You are having to urinate so much because your kidneys are removing the excess water to prevent your water intake from diluting your body fluids to the point where your nervous system shuts down. If your kidneys stopped doing so, you would soon die of water intoxication.

The easiest way to drink a gallon of water per day without excessively frequent urination is to perform a lot of vigorous exercise which causes your body to lose more water by sweating. However, this can also cause problems because you’re also losing electrolytes in your sweat, so if you don’t replenish them you’ll still dilute your bodily fluids.

Over time, you may not need to urinate as frequently because your bladder and its associated nerves and muscles can build up a tolerance to holding large amounts of urine. However, that could come back to bite you when you’re old.

A better solution is to simply stop drinking so much water.

QUESTION HERE IS : If you increase your water intake from 2 litres a day to 1 gallon, will your body eventually adapt so that you won't urinate so much? ( 1 litre =0.264 US gallon; 1 US gallon = 3.785 litre ) 

Why on Earth are you drinking so much water? Unless you are wearing 80 pounds of battle rattle around in the Iraq summer you don’t need it.

You are peeing a lot because your body is getting rid of excess water. If it stopped doing that you’d die.


Drink when you’re thirsty. Then stop.

What do you mean by adapt?

Do you think that your body has a secret place where it will put the water?

It needs to come out of your body somehow.

You could always move somewhere that's really hot, never use air conditioning, and exercise a lot. Then you would sweat the water out rather than pee so much.

Whatever your body doesn't use will need to leave somehow. And the way this happens is through your digestive system, sweating, and breathing.


There's no point in drinking so much water. Your body knows how much it needs - you get thirsty when you need to drink something.

Conservation of mass.

Water in = Water out.

You get rid of water in several ways:

Pee.
Sweat.
Runny crap.
Tears.
Snot.

So if you drink an extra 2 liters of water, then, other things being equal, you are going to pee an extra 2 liters. That’s 4–8 extra trips to the toilet a day.

The water still has to go somewhere!!

Don't overdo it, though. If you get your electrolytes levels out of balance by drinking too much water, it can KILL you before they figure out what's wrong with you at the hospital!


That almost happened to my father-in-law.

Maintaining Life: Necessary Life Functions

Necessary Life Functions

We’ll take a look at what human body actually does.

Like all complex animals, humans must maintain a core set of necessary life functions to survive. These include maintaining boundaries, movement, responsiveness, digestion, metabolism, excretion, reproduction, and grow. In order to survive, humans also need nutrients, oxygen, water and an appropriate atmosphere. We’ll discuss these topics in depth below.

Maintaining boundaries

All organisms must be able to maintain boundaries and separate their internal environment from the external one. For example, each cell in the human body is enclosed by a selectively permeable membrane which allows it to take in substances and excrete waste, all while blocking potentially harmful substances. Additionally, the body itself is protected by the integumentary system, or skin. The layer of skin around our bodies protects our internal environment from the external world.

Movement
The muscular system propels our bodies and allows us to move from one place to another. The skeletal system provides the bony framework our muscles need to pull on as they work to produce movement. Without these features, humans wouldn’t be able to perform necessary life functions to survive.




Responsiveness
Responsiveness is defined as the ability to sense changes in the environment and then respond to them (also called excitability). Responsiveness is an extremely important necessary life function. For instance, if you cut your hand open on a razor blade, your body produces a reflex and you involuntarily pull your hand away from the razor. You don’t have to think about it, your body just naturally pulls your hand away. Many systems within the human body act in this exact same manner.

Digestion
In order for nutrients and minerals to be absorbed into blood , food we eat must be broken down into smaller molecules. The digestive system breaks down ingested food and liquid into smaller molecules our body can absorb. In turn, the nutrient-rich blood is then distributed throughout the body by the cardiovascular system.

Metabolism
Metabolism is a term that includes all chemical reactions that occur within the body. Metabolism is regulated by hormones secreted from (glands) the endocrine system.

Excretion
If the human body is to operate correctly, it must be able to get rid of waste and nonessential items. Several organ systems participate in the excretion of waste products. For instance, the urinary system disposes nitrogenous waste while the digestive system rids the body of indigestible food as feces.

Reproduction
In order to survive, all living organisms must reproduce. The reproductive system is responsible for producing offspring and is directly regulated by hormones of the endocrine system.

Growth
Humans must grow to survive. The scientific term for growth means “constructive activities must occur at a faster rate than destructive ones”.

Survival Needs

Survival needs include nutrients (food), oxygen, water and an appropriate atmosphere.

Nutrients
Nutrients contained in food and liquids contain chemical substances used for energy and cell building. Carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats are all vital in maintaining a healthy body. For instance, calcium helps make bones hard and vitamin D is needed in order to produce sufficient amounts of calcium.

Oxygen
Human cells can only survive for a few minutes without oxygen. Chemical reactions that release energy from foods are oxidative reactions and require oxygen. In fact, oxygen is so vital to the human body that it would only last a few minutes without it. The respiratory and cardiovascular systems work in conjunction to make oxygen available throughout the body.



Water
The human body is 60-80% water. Water is the most abundant chemical substance in the body and provides the environment necessary for life. We obtain water through food and liquids and loose it through bodily excretions and evaporation (from the skin).

Appropriate atmospheric pressure
Breathing and gas exchange in the lungs depend on the right type of atmospheric pressure. For instance, on top of Mount Everest (at high altitude), gas exchange can be inadequate for the human body to survive.

WATER IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF ENERGY(hydrolysis)

The word hydrolysis (loosening, dissolving, breaking, or splitting by the participating action of water) is used when water becomes involved in the metabolism of other materials. Activities that depend on hydrolysis include the breakdown of proteins into their component amino acids and the breakdown of large fatty particles into smaller fatty acid units. Without water , hydrolysis cannot take place. It follows, then, that the hydrolytic function of water also constitutes the metabolism of water itself. What this means is that water itself needs to be broken down first -- hydrolyzed -- before the body can use the various components in food. This is why we need to supply the human body with water before we eat solid foods. Recommended to drink a glass of water , 30 minutes prior your meal time will help the digestion process.

Now that we are on this point, let me once again give you the figures that stress the importance of water as a supplier of energy, especially for brain functions. 

Figure 8.2 : Energy is measured in kilo joules. One kilo Joule is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. [energy]

MgATP(positive)[600] + H2O (water) = 

ADP(3negative)[1500] / ADPH(2negative)[600] 

+ Mg(2positive)[998] / H(positive)[1168] + H2PO

(positive)[318] / HPO4(2negative)[1251]


One unit of magnesium-ATP from the stockpile of energy at the cell membrane has about 600 units of energy before it is hydrolyzed.  When it is hydrolyzed into its component parts , the total energy  content reaches to about 5,835 units. (These figures are taken from an article published by P. George and co-workers : Biochem Biophys Acta 223, no. 1, 1970.) (ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the main source of energy in cells, must be bound to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active. What is called ATP is often actually Mg-ATP.[4]  ) (Fig. 1. Views of ATP and related structures.  )  

All the foods that we eat and digest need to be hydrolyzed before the human body can tap into their contents. The benefits they offer the body become available because of the "magical" effect  of water, which breaks the products into their more easily digestible and water-energized components.

Dear honorable reader of Healthy Wealth blog-site, 
 Now you know why water is a nutrient and how it generates energy. Water dissolves all the minerals, proteins, starches, and other water-soluble components and , as blood , carries them around the human body for distribution. Think of blood as seawater that has a few breeds of fish in it -- red cells, white cells, platelets, proteins, and enzymes, all swimming to a destination. The blood serum has almost the same mineral consistency and proportions as seawater. 

The human body is in constant need of water. it is losing water though the lungs when we breathe out. The body is losing water in perspiration from the skin, in urine production, and in daily bowel movements. Water deficit causes constipation. A good gauge for the water needs of the human body is the color of urine. 

1. A well-hydrated person produces colorless  urine --- not counting the color of vitamins or color additives in processed edibles.  

2. A comparatively dehydrated person produces translucent-yellow urine. 

3. A truly dehydrated person produces urine that is orange in color.

4. Also: A well hydrated person is never constipated : a constipated person is truly a dehydrated person! 

In the next posts that follows, the importance of minerals and food components are briefly discussed.  For a more thorough understanding of the importance of nutrition in maintaining health and well-being, I recommend the following book. A Complete Illustrated Guide to Vitamins and Minerals : A Practical Approach to a Healthy Diet and Safe Supplementation by Denise Mortimore, BSc , PhD, DHD :ISBN 0607-2717-1. ) You will enjoy reading this  book.

Infused Water Benefits

One of my favorite weight loss topics to talk about is infused water! Studies have shown that drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism among other water health benefits, and drinking infused water for weight loss can be an easy way to increase your water intake.

My first infused water Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water recipe turned out to be really popular, and went viral with over 2 million views within the first year. 

These simple infused water recipes are inexpensive, have almost zero calories, and taste great too!

What Is Infused Water?

Also called detox water, fruit flavored water, or fruit infused water; infused water can generally be any combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs immersed in cold water.

While infused water has the benefit of being full of flavor, it also has no calories, making it a very powerful tool in your efforts to lose weight and gain better health.

Special Tip: Fruit infused water is great to bring along with you and sip all day as a delicious hydrating treat.

To make it easier to take on the go, check out our Recommended Fruit Infused Water Bottles or see our list of the Top 5 Best Seller Fruit Infused Water Bottles.

With one of these fruit infuser bottles, you can refill the water over and over again and the flavor of the fruits and herbs will still infuse into the water. It’s worth the $10-20 investment in your health!

What Are The Benefits of Infused Water?

Besides tasting great and having zero calories, a water detox has many additional health benefits, including:

Improves your mood.

Flushes toxins from your system.

Fills you up so you don’t eat as much junk.

Naturally helps your body release fat cells for water weight loss.

Keeps food moving through your system.

Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.

Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.

Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.

Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon.

Water and weight loss go hand in hand. Drinking water to lose weight and be healthier is one of the easiest habits you can have, especially when you can make so many types of  infused water recipes to choose from.

Drinking Water to Lose Weight

Studies have shown that drinking infused water may help improve weight loss and support long term weight loss maintenance.

Drinking water increases the amount of calories you burn by as much as 24-30% within 10 minutes of drinking water, and this water weight loss increase can last for as long as 60 minutes!


So if you want to lose weight fast without much extra effort, try drinking more water.

Top 5 Most Popular Fruit Infused Water Recipes

Everyone has their favorite fruit infused water ingredients, but some are more popular than others.

Fresh lemon, lime, strawberries, apple slices, and oranges and the most popular fruit ingredients, while cucumber slices, mint, basil, cinnamon, and ginger are the most popular vegetable ingredients.

Here is the list of top 5 fruit infused water recipes:


#1 – Lemon Water




When it comes to popularity, Lemon Water is the undisputed king of them all.

Also called Lemon Detox Water or Lemon Water, this detox drink recipe has the benefit of being really simple and tasty.

Even though this lemon water detox recipe has only two ingredients, lemons and mint, the sweetness and sour from the lemons create a delicious flavor while also providing lots of Vitamin C and the mint adds a refreshing taste.

Drinking lemon water for weight loss is a great idea that you can do cheaply and easily. Try Lemon Mint Water for a refreshing family treat on a hot day.

#2 – Apple Cinnamon Water



This Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water recipe has been my most popular personal fruit infused water recipes of all time.

Within 2 weeks I was getting 40,000 views a day on my website for this recipe!

Also called Detox Apple Cinnamon Water, this fruit water recipe is delicious and has the benefit of being metabolism boosting.

#3 – Mango Ginger Water


Did you know Ginger and Mango both boost your metabolism?

This Mango Ginger Water recipe has been at the top of the charts since it was first introduced.

Along with boosting your metabolism ginger also is a natural pain reliever, from migraines to menstrual cramps ginger heals a lot of pain.


It also helps reduce morning or motion sickness and banishes heart burn! It’s no wonder this recipe is so popular!

#4 – Tangerine and Strawberry Infused Water



This refreshing Tangerine and Strawberry Infused Water recipe contains fruits that are high in Vitamin C and are big metabolism boosters!

Strawberries and tangerines one of my favorite combos, and both hot and cold this is a delicious drink.

This year-round favorite will have you drinking more water quickly.

#5 – Cucumber Lemon Water



This is the classic lemon water recipe you’d find everywhere, and in the top 5 for good reason.

Cucumber Lemon Water is the ultimate detox drink.

It’s got the great taste, and the health benefits of the cucumbers and lemon juice flush your system and help you feel better.

Drinking cucumber water for weight loss is also very popular recently because of one main reason….it works well!

Infused Water for Weight Loss

It’s very simple: Drinking water helps you lose weight. Studies have demonstrated that drinking water significantly elevates the resting energy expenditure (REE) in children by up to 25%. This effect lasted up to 40 minutes. (5)

Did you get that? Just by drinking water your body increases its burning of calories.

You know that soda is bad for you, including diet soda. Caloric beverages steal your health and steal great food from you because they fill you up with all the wrong stuff. Soda is the #1 culprit for the diabetes epidemic in America. Drinking infused water for weight loss is one of the easiest things you can do for better health.

Experts suggest that the average person should consume at least 64 ounces of water a day, but I recommend you drink up to double that amount for weight loss. But how do you drink that much water if you don’t like the taste of plain water?

Many people have found drinking infused water for weight loss is the solution.

Additional infused water benefits:

Boosts your metabolism.
Fills you up so you don’t eat as much junk.
Naturally helps your body release fat cells.
Keeps food moving through your system.
Flushes toxins from your system.
Improves your mood.
Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.
Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.
Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.
Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon.
Because infused waters are naturally low in calories and contain no artificial ingredients, you can drink as much of it as you want. Some detox water recipes like Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water even contain metabolism boosting ingredients that naturally help accelerate weight loss.

Which fruit infused water is best for weight loss? The answer is: the one you will drink the most. When it comes to weight loss, more water is better and the goal is to drink as much as you can. Drinking infused water for weight loss is one of the easiest habits you can have to help you lose weight without a lot of effort.

Here are 7 tips for drinking more water:

Drink a large glass of water before every meal, NO EXCUSES. This is one of the easiest rules to follow when it comes to weight loss and it’s also the most important. You must stay hydrated.
Drink your first glass of water within 15 minutes of waking. Put a large full glass of water on your bed stand every night and drink it when you wake up in the morning.
Have a pitcher of fruit infused water in your refrigerator at all times. Keeping a large pitcher of fruit infused water available will encourage you to want to drink more water. Plus, the vitamins and nutrients that the fruit adds to the water will provide an additional healthy boost.
Buy a travel infused water bottle. A lot of people have reported their amount of daily water intake went way up when they got a travel water infuser. It’s convenient to take it to work, school, the gym, or on the road – it’s an easy and convenient way to drink more infused water.
Hungry and want a snack? Go drink two 8 oz glasses of water and wait 15 minutes. If you are still hungry than your body needs food and you should have a healthy snack, if not good for you! You just saved yourself some calories, use that surplus to enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner or to shave  200 calories or more off your daily total.
Decaffeinated tea counts!! Going to Starbucks with your friends? Order a decaf tea!! You can count it as water and your beverage will be zero calories. Most independent coffee houses have their own specialty teas. Once I had a coconut tea that it was so delicious and much better than my husband’s 500+ calorie coffee drink!
Try more recipes! We have our own fruit infused water book: Fruit Infusions has lots of recipes for cold and hot infused water drinks. This book adds lots of variety to your fruit water recipe collection.
Once you start drinking a gallon a day you will notice you are more thirsty and will crave more stomach slimming infused water. Your body will help you along if you can stick to it for a week or two. Our bodies need water to stay cool and hydrated, you will also notice clearer skin, stronger hair and nails and best of all water fills you up and it is zero calories!

Studies have shown that drinking water is a proven method for increasing weight loss.

Part of the reason is because water naturally raises your metabolism.

Other reasons include: fills you up, flushes your system, and naturally helps your body release fat cells.

What better way to increase your water consumption than to drink infused water for weight loss?

Make a pitcher to drink all day and watch your weight loss go up!

I also like to have a fruit infused water bottle with me when I’m on the go for infused water water anytime, anywhere, at any hour.

More Infused Water Recipes