Drinking fizzy water may be able to help dieters lose some weight, researchers said on Tuesday.
Because the drink is "filling" and helps to curb hunger pangs, it has been heralded as a potential slimming aid. It may also speed up digestion and lowers blood glucose levels, analysis published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health found, although how it works is not fully understood and author Akira Takahashi also warned fizzy water cannot be relied on alone.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) in fizzy water is absorbed through the stomach lining and is rapidly converted to bicarbonate (HCO3) in red blood cells, Mr Takahashi said. An alkalinisation process then speeds up glucose absorption by activating key enzymes in red blood cells, the author said.
Clinical observations showed that blood glucose levels fall as blood passes through a dialyser, despite a higher glucose level in the dialysate solution to start with, he added.
While these findings suggest that fizzy water may indirectly promote weight loss by enhancing the uptake and use of blood glucose, context is key, Mr Takahashi said.
During a typical four-hour haemodialysis session, about 48,000ml of blood flows through the dialyser, resulting in around 9.5g of glucose being used during the session, he said.
“Given this minimal glucose reduction, the impact of CO2 in carbonated water is not a stand-alone solution for weight loss. A balanced diet and regular physical activity remain crucial components of sustainable weight management,” he added.
Prof Sumantra Ray, executive director at NNEdPro Global Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, which co-owns the journal, said: “While there is a hypothetical link between carbonated water and glucose metabolism, this has yet to be tested in well-designed human intervention studies.
“And although this study adds to the evidence base, it doesn’t provide sufficient evidence on which to make recommendations for the preventive or therapeutic use of carbonated water.”
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Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
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SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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The specs
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Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
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