What Happens If You Only Drink Water For 3 Days
Did you know over 60% of your body is water? It’s vital, but what if that’s all you consume for 3 days?
You’re about to find out about the science and effects of a 3-day water fast. We’ll break down the process, safety concerns, and what you can expect.
Not only do flavored sugary drinks make you gain weight, but they also cause a host of problems in the body. They are laced with preservatives, added colors and sugar additives, which do more harm to the body than you can imagine. The benefits of drinking only water are immense.
Don’t worry, we’ve got the facts, so strap in and get ready to dive into the deep end of this intriguing health experiment.
What Is A 3 Day Water Fast?
A 3-day water fast is a process where you consume only water for a total of 72 hours, eliminating all other food and drink from your diet.
This extreme form of fasting has you drinking only water, although some individuals might allow non-caloric beverages like green tea or black coffee.
Now, you might be wondering: what happens if you only drink water for 3 days?
The body enters a state of autophagy, a process that breaks down and recycles old cell components, promoting health benefits such as a lower risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. [1]
During a water fast, it’s also common to supplement with unsweetened electrolyte powders or tablets to maintain your body’s electrolyte balance. Pure pink Himalayan salt can be licked for necessary sodium intake.
This scientific approach is necessary to ensure your body doesn’t suffer from electrolyte imbalances during the fast.
Water fasting can be undertaken for various reasons—religious or spiritual reasons, weight loss, detoxing, health benefits, or preparing for a medical procedure.
Yet, it’s essential to approach it with caution, given its intensity. Before embarking on a 3-day water fast, it’s advisable to seek medical guidance.
Is a 3 Day Water Fast Safe
Despite the potential health benefits, you shouldn’t underestimate the risks associated with a 3-day water fast.
It’s crucial to understand that this practice should only be undertaken under medical supervision due to its potential adverse health effects.
Prolonged fasting can lead to dehydration, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiencies.
In the absence of food, your body might respond with symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and poor healing.
To underscore, limited human studies on water fasting exist, so fully understanding its impact on health remains elusive.
It’s important to consult a healthcare provider for safer alternatives. Specifically, individuals with gout, diabetes, eating disorders, as well as older adults, pregnant women, and children should veer away from water fasting.
Of particular concern is the risk of refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that can occur if your body undergoes rapid changes in fluid and electrolyte levels after a water fast.
How To Do A 3 Day Water Fast
Embarking on a 3-day water fast requires careful preparation and should never be done without considering your health conditions.
Certain individuals, including those with gout, diabetes, or eating disorders, as well as older adults, pregnant individuals, and children, shouldn’t undertake such a fast without medical supervision.
If you decide to proceed, spend 3-4 days preparing your body. Try eating smaller portions, or practicing shorter fasting intervals, such as intermittent fasting. This gradual approach will ease your body into the metabolic shift that occurs during fasting.
During the fast, you’ll only drink water. Aim for two to three liters per day, but always listen to your body’s signals.
Should you feel weak or dizzy, it’s crucial to avoid activities like driving or operating machinery.
What Happens If You Only Drink Water For 3 Days
Here are the most definite changes in your body that you would notice if you replace each of your beverages with water for 3 days.
1. Increased Cognitive Abilities And Creativity
Your brain functioning well depends a lot on the amount of water you intake. If you do not drink enough water it will trigger memory loss, brain fatigue and headaches.
The organ itself consists of 85% water so it’s pretty obviously it is of absolute necessity to keep it hydrated. [2]
Many beverages out there you may be consuming actually dehydrate you further.
And if your drinking them that means you’d have to drink even more water to make up for it…but most likely the beverages are replacing the water you should be drinking.
If you swap these drinks for water it will increase your brain function and improves your focus, memory as well as prevents disorders like a deficit of attention.
Since the brain needs tons of oxygen to operate efficiently, and water is one of the great sources, drinking 8 to 10 cups per day can improve your cognitive performance by as much as 30%.
2. Increased Metabolism Rate
Your kidneys rely heavily on water to function correctly. If there is a lack of water consumption the kidneys will not function well.
That, in turn, puts the pressure on the liver to take up the job of releasing the vital toxins. When the liver acts on behalf of the kidney, it has to overlook its job of metabolizing the stored fat of the body into energy.
This results in a lower metabolism rate. It is terrible for the body and can lead to detrimental health effects.
You have to drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep the kidneys hydrated and maintain an optimum metabolism rate.
3. Improved Detoxification
Water is by far one of the best detoxifiers that you can get your hands upon, not to mention the cheapest as well.
If you supply your body with an adequate supply of water, it facilitates a proper transport of nutrients to every cell of the body, it flushes out the toxic wastes, it improves digestive abilities and (like we mentioned before) it keeps the kidneys healthy.
Healthy kidneys are vital in the detoxification process as they ensure that the waste and toxins are released from the body regularly and are not allowed to build up.
Furthermore, sufficient water keeps the skin hydrated and detoxified which means you will have healthy and glowing skin.
Related: 10 Habits That Damage Your Kidneys (Most People Ignore)
4. Improved Hair And Skin Health
If your hair is dehydrated it causes various problems like hair-fall, dullness of the hair and dandruff among others. As long as you stay hydrated though you can avoid most of these problems. If you drink only water you will have naturally glowing hair.
You skin will have similar problems from dehydration – like flakiness and dullness of the skin. You will also decelerate the ageing process by keeping your skin adequately hydrated. It moisturizes your skin, keeps it wrinkle-free. (It helps maintain muscle tone too.)
But to notice the effect, you have to drink only water. Replace all beverages with water and your hair and skin will be radiantly healthy, youthful, and beautiful.
Related: 13 Best Hair Vitamins For Faster Hair Growth
5. Improved Calorie Control
Water is an appetite suppressant. Drinking extra water is considered to be one of the best weight loss strategies because it curbs your calorie intake, and effectively helps you in losing weight.
As previously mentioned, an increased hydration level leads to better metabolism which in turn is great for weight loss.
A 2007 research by Dr. Boschmann shown that consuming 16 ounces of water just after awaking in the mornings raises your metabolism by 24%.
Related: Easy Lemon Ginger Water Recipe For Weight Loss
6. Strengthened Immunity, Heart, And Bones
With the performance of your liver and kidneys at full power, your body is efficiently eliminating toxic substances, waste, and salt from your blood.
Consuming adequate amounts of water neutralizes pH levels, strengthens your immunity against kidney stones and other illnesses, and supports pain management (body aches and headaches), too.
Replacing beverages with water will ensure a healthier heart, meaning the threat of heart attack is decreased. This is because staying well hydrated prevents your blood from thickening, and it lowers your blood pressure.
Some support that if you drink one glass of water an hour before bedtime it helps to prevent a heart attack or stroke because it makes it easier for the heart to send freshly oxygenated blood to the organs.
The American Journal of Epidemiology published a six-year study that found that people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack than those who drank less than two glasses a day.
Water helps with your body’s task of rebuilding shock absorber cartilage.
This is important so joints can move smoothly, curtailing joint damage triggered by tension. If you replace all your beverages with water you will notice that your joint flexibility improves.
7. Increased secretion of human growth hormone (HGH)
An interesting effect of only drinking water for three days is the increased secretion of your body’s human growth hormone (HGH). [3]
This hormone, produced by your pituitary gland, plays a crucial role in growth, body composition, cell repair, and metabolism.
The pituitary gland is a tiny thing at the bottom of your brain. It makes a bunch of hormones that help your body do stuff like grow, handle stress and make babies. It’s also called the master gland because it tells other glands what to do.
It’s also instrumental in increasing muscle mass and strength, and it contributes to the health of your heart and bones.
When you fast, your body seeks ways to conserve energy and maintain functionality. To do this, it triggers a surge in HGH production.
This hormone boost helps maintain muscle and lean tissue mass, aids in fat burning, and facilitates cell repair. It’s a survival response that keeps your body efficient while you’re not taking in food.
8. Promotes autophagy
Another significant benefit you’ll experience during a three-day water fast is the promotion of autophagy in your body. [4] [5]
Autophagy, a Greek term meaning ‘self-eating,’ is a cellular process that breaks down and recycles old, potentially harmful parts of cells. This process is crucial as it helps to maintain overall cell health and functionality.
When you engage in water fasting, autophagy ramps up, effectively initiating a cellular clean-up.
This heightened state of autophagy can potentially guard against diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease by eliminating damaged cellular components before they become problematic.
9. Reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides
In addition to the remarkable revitalization of your cells, your body’s management of bad cholesterol and triglycerides also sees significant improvement when you solely consume water for three days.
Medically supervised water fasts have been shown to positively influence levels of LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as the ‘bad’ cholesterol. [6]
This substance, when in excess, can build up in your blood vessels, leading to heart disease.
Likewise, high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood, can increase your risk of stroke. A three-day water fast can help lower these levels, reducing your risk of cardiovascular conditions.
Therefore, drinking only water for an extended period can be a proactive step towards improved heart health.
Related: 24 Best Foods for Lowering Cholesterol (Fact Checked)
11. Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation
Regularly drinking only water for three days can significantly decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in your body.
Oxidative stress is the imbalance between the production of free radicals, which are harmful molecules, and the body’s ability to counteract their harmful effects. It’s a key factor in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Inflammation, on the other hand, is the body’s natural response to injury or illness, but chronic inflammation can lead to the same diseases.
During a water fast, your body triggers a metabolic pathway called autophagy, which removes waste material from cells and reduces inflammation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Take
In a nutshell, a 3-day water fast isn’t a walk in the park. It requires preparation and careful monitoring of your body’s reactions.
While it can potentially kickstart weight loss and detoxification, it’s not a long-term solution.
Remember, water fasting is a drastic step and should be undertaken under medical supervision.
After all, health is wealth and shouldn’t be gambled with recklessly.
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