Psychology Science Minute #464

Do you drink enough water throughout the day? Could that have an impact on your mental health and functioning?

Medical and psychology Iranian researchers studied the connection between water consumption and mental health functioning in over 3300 participants in Iran. Surveys asked participants how many glasses of plain water they drank daily. They completed questionnaires about their gastrointestinal disorders and measures on depression and anxiety.

Results? After controlling for possible other factors, drinking less than 2 glasses of plain water per day was associated with an increased risk of depression in73% of men and 54% of women, but not anxiety nor gastrointestinal disorders. Their results show that people reporting higher water intake indicated they had healthier behaviors such as more physical activity and eating more nutritious foods. Due to lack of availability, Iranians are not likely to drink noncaloric beverages, which otherwise might have impacted the results.

The researchers suggest that an increase in water intake might impact the body and brain on a metabolic level. Drinking water might contribute to both your...