Many moons ago, before I started Canonbury, I worked for the international newsletter publisher called Agora.

Mainly, we published newsletters, courses and information products about investing, trading and personal finance.

But there was a health division too.

This was because of a massive crossover between the target audience of older people interested in making money for a better future…

And older people who were concerned about protecting and improving their health.

So the health team put out newsletters and books with the kind of advice they might not get from their doctor, or read about in the mainstream press.

Because as you may have experienced yourself…

GPs and medical services are underfunded and over-stressed.

They want you in and out of the surgery as fast as possible.

And they primarily care about diagnosing and fixing the most pressing medical problem.

Whatever drug or procedure gets the job done most quickly, that’s the usual answer.

So what happens is that we no longer get told about simple, natural methods we can use to feel healthier, happier, more energetic and mentally sharper.

Which is why our health division enjoyed success with publications that offered this lesser-known advice.

I remember there was a shelf of books in the office with a selection of health titles that were the biggest sellers for us via direct mail.

One of them was Water: Your Body’s Many Cries for Water: You’re Not Sick; You’re Thirsty! By F. Batmanghelidj.

The author argued that common ailments like asthma, allergies, arthritis, hypertension, obesity and diabetes were actually caused by chronic dehydration.

It comes down to the inadequate way our body signals to our brain that we are thirsty.

By the time we feel a dry mouth and an urge to drink, much of the damage from insufficient water intake has already been done.

Anyway, I loved that compelling hook “you’re not sick, you’re thirsty’, so I took a copy home to keep.

I’ve not looked at the book for decades, but I thought about it again after last Monday’s What Really Makes Money, in which I revealed nutritional deficiencies that cause problems with concentration.

Because plain old water could be one of them!

Weird, I know, but hear me out…

How Hydration Could Boost Your Brain

According to Batmanghelidj, good hydration is key to better concentration and focus.

This is because the brain is an astonishingly water-heavy organ, roughly 85% water by weight. So it’s far more sensitive to fluid loss than most of us realise.

Even a 1% drop in its water content is enough to compromise brain function, because it cannot tolerate dehydration in the way other tissues can.

A poor attention span, he suggests, may simply be your brain’s way of disengaging when it lacks the energy and hydration it needs to lay down new information.

But the better hydrated your brain, the more energy it can generate, and the more effectively it can focus, store memories and switch between tasks.

Now, I remember that F. Batmanghelidj’s book drew criticism from some sceptics.

But since the book was originally published in 1992 (and revised in 2003) scientific research has broadly corroborated his theory.

In 2012, for example, researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory found that mild dehydration in men caused problems with memory, tension, and working memory… while women experienced more fatigue, confusion, and irritability.

Note that this wasn’t extreme dehydration either.

It was roughly equivalent to going through a normal morning without drinking much.

“Our thirst sensation doesn’t really appear until we are 1 percent or 2 percent dehydrated,” said one of the lead scientists. “By then dehydration is already setting in and starting to impact how our mind and body perform.”

He added, “Dehydration affects all people, and staying properly hydrated is just as important for those who work all day at a computer as it is for marathon runners, who can lose up to 8 percent of their body weight as water when they compete.”

Another interesting study came from Loughborough University, where volunteers were put in a driving simulator while mildly dehydrated.

Their mistake rate shot up and they made as many errors as someone over the drink-drive limit…. all from skipping a couple of glasses of water!

It’s as if water wakes up your brain and keeps it alert.

Scientists think this happens because hydration influences three factors:

• Blood flow – Water helps maintain the fluid volume your brain needs for efficient oxygen delivery.
• Neurotransmitters – Dehydration can impair the transport of amino acids that become serotonin and dopamine (the chemicals behind mood, motivation, reward, and focus)
• Glucose regulation – A well-hydrated body keeps your blood sugar more stable… and your brain depends on a steady glucose supply.

When you see the facts stack up, suddenly the “you’re not sick, you’re thirsty” idea doesn’t seem quite so crazy, does it?

The good news is, you don’t need to fork out for any supplements, swallow any pills or stick to a diet.

Water is a free and easy way to boost your brain.

A Simple Way to Drink Yourself into Productivity

It’s pretty simple…

When you next sit down for a big work session, drink a glass of water first.

Give it twenty minutes…. and then you should notice a lift in clarity and focus.

If you’re one of those people (like me!) who forgets to drink water throughout the day, you could always try the ‘1-1-1 rule’.

This is where you have one glass of water when you wake up…. one in the mid-morning…. and one in the mid-afternoon.

Try to turn this into an ingrained habit by doing it every day for a few weeks.

And, if you hit a point when your concentration suddenly falls off a cliff, drink a glass of water before reaching for the usual coffee or energy drink.

It might simply be that your brain was dehydrated.

Seriously, I’ve been trying this over the past few days and I have found that water really does do the trick sometimes.

I’d love to know what you think.

Can water really make it easier for you to concentrate?