Tokyo: Advice to drink lots of water to loose weight is a waste of time, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found that drinking the elixir of life does not keep one trim — instead, one could be better off eating foods rich in water like fruit, vegetables, rice, soups and casseroles.

According to them, it is unclear why water in food but not in drinks affects weight — it could be due to water-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables and rice also high in fibre.

In fact, the researchers have based their findings on an analysis of 1,000 young women in Tokyo. They compared the weight and waist size of the participants with the amount of water they consumed each day, both from drinks and food.

The study, published in the latest edition of the Nutrition Journal, found no link between water in drinks, including water itself, tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices, and body shape, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.

But the researchers found a link between water taken in from food, with women who ate the highest quantities of water-rich foods tending to have slightly smaller waists. And, those subjects also had a lower body mass index, meaning they were a better weight for their height.

The link held firm even when other factors such as the amount of exercise done and whether the woman was dieting were taken into consideration.