Research continues to reveal that inflammation plays a role in the development of numerous chronic diseases, including heart disease, autoimmune diseases, digestive problems, and more. As such, you may be looking for simple things you can do on a daily basis to combat it. One of the easiest health-supporting choices to make every day is to drink enough water. But can drinking water lower inflammation?
“Inflammation is a complex process in the body that acts to respond to harmful stimuli, such as injury or infection. It is an important part of the body’s healing process and typically acts behind-the-scenes,” explains Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA. “However, if an inflammatory process becomes chronic, it can potentially cause harmful effects to different parts of the body.”
Meet the experts: Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA; Michael Klein, M.D., a kidney specialist with WMCHealth in Hawthorne, NY, and an associate professor at New York Medical College.
Here, experts reveal if drinking water can help combat chronic inflammation, plus other steps you can take to reduce inflammation and improve your health.
Can drinking water lower inflammation?
“Staying well hydrated will go a long way towards reducing inflammation in your body,” says Dr. Chen. “If you become dehydrated, your body will have more trouble clearing waste products from your body, which could then lead to an inflammatory response.” Research in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition also suggests that low water intake is associated with higher concentrations of free radicals, molecules that contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
That said, water on its own is not anti-inflammatory, says Michael Klein, M.D., a kidney specialist with WMCHealth in Hawthorne, NY, and an associate professor at New York Medical College. “Drinking more water to minimize oxidative stress is not something you see,” he adds. In other words, water does not actively combat inflammation. It does not contain any antioxidants, the powerful plant compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables that directly fight to lower inflammation. But drinking enough water will likely mean that you are not choosing practices or other drinks that could be actively feeding the inflammatory fire.
As mentioned, drinking enough water means you’re avoiding dehydration, which Dr. Chen says may increase inflammation. It also means that you are not drinking something filled with inflammatory ingredients, like a soft drink or other sugar-sweetened beverage. “It’s the old Cheerios routine,” says Dr. Klein. “They put heart-healthy on the box because if you’re eating Cheerios, it means you’re not eating Fruit Loops.” Research has linked high sugar intake to chronic inflammation, while a separate review confirms the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and inflammation-fueled conditions like obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. So while drinking water does not actively reduce inflammation, it is a healthy decision that may contribute to lower levels of inflammation in the body over time.
Simple strategies for lowering inflammation
In addition to drinking enough water, there are other changes you can make to your daily routine that may help reduce inflammation in the body. Dr. Chen recommends the following:
- Limiting your intake of foods that cause inflammation, such as fried foods, processed meats, and refined and processed carbohydrates
- Moving regularly, aiming for 150 minutes of exercise per week
- Avoiding tobacco and alcohol
- Taking steps to maintain a healthy weight
In other words, try to make healthy decisions whenever possible. Dr. Chen says that symptoms can be hard to identify as related to chronic inflammation. But if you’re not feeling quite right, there’s a good chance that taking steps to reduce inflammation may make a difference.
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