Mostly, water can be taken while fasting. But some exceptions exist. This is especially when it is for medical reasons. Answers to some frequently asked questions on if you can drink water while fasting will be given here. So, ensure to read on to find out more.
How Essential Is Water
Water is a class of food and an essential one at that. The ability of the body to survive depends on it to a great extent. This is considering the multiple crucial roles that water play and they include:
- Regulating the body’s temperature every day
- Ensuring that the joints are lubricated
- Flushing away wastes in the body – Makes the job of the kidney and liver easier
- Helps the body form essential fluids like saliva and mucus
- Helps people lose weight. Also helps people gain weight
- Structural support for sensitive tissues, the spinal cord, and the brain by providing cushioning
- Supports digestion
- Proper regulation of blood sugar & insulin levels
There is a long list of other health benefits of water. It is also worth knowing that many foods have water as part of their composition.
Is Drinking Water Allowed Before Surgery?
This is one of the few exceptions to drinking water while fasting. Usually, people are supposed to fast before undergoing some kind of surgery. The reason is to put the body in the right state for the surgical procedure.
Fasting for such surgical procedures is supposed to be absolute. That is, it includes not taking and eating water & food (respectively) a few hours before the surgery. This is to avoid the effects of the anesthesia. Anesthesia suspends the body’s reflexes.
As long as it is still active, digestion will not happen as it should and this would lead to vomiting. The adverse effects could even be worse than that. So, you should not have water a few hours before your surgery.
This is except it is the sort of surgery that permits taking water even a few minutes before the medical procedure. Have your doctor tell you if this is the case.
Can You Drink Water During Intermittent Fasting?
You can drink water during your intermittent fast. The fact that water contains absolutely no calories is one of the reasons for this. So, taking water during your fast will not deter you from enjoying the benefits of fasting.
Whether you have plans to lose butt fat, arm fat, or general body fat; intermittent fasting can be of great help. Drinking water (moderately) during your intermittent fast will support staying hydrated even as you fast.
This makes water one of the best foods to take during your intermittent fast. This is also because every other food option will break your fast as they contain calories (no matter how small).
For those that need more than water during their fast, low-calorie foods are the next best option. This is where drinks like tea & coffee come in. But even the tea & coffee has to be free of sugar and other things that will further add to the number of calories.
Can Drinking Water Make You Fail a Blood Test?
You may or may not be required to fast before taking a blood test. But it is advised that you do so to get accurate results from the test. This is because the presence of any meal and even water close to the time the procedure is carried out can alter things.
So, it is just wise that you avoid any meal as well as water before your blood test. The length of the food & water fast before the blood test depends on the kind of blood test. So, make findings from your doctor or lab technician (as the case may be).
Conclusion
Mostly, water can be taken while fasting. The few exceptions are especially when medical procedures require that you stay away from water & food before surgery. You can visit the International Health Alliance Nutrition section for more related articles.
