I get asked a lot if drinking water with meals affects your digestion – here’s what you need to know…
1. For most people drinking a glass of water with a meal won’t have any negative impact on digestion.
And if you’re a fast eater, sipping on water during your meal could actually be a good thing to help you slow you down.
2. Water doesn’t ‘dilute’ your digestive enzymes.
The contents of your stomach are constantly monitored so it can adjust to different contents of our meals – it’s amazingly adaptable!
3. Water doesn’t ‘flush’ your meal out of your stomach.
Liquids do go through your stomach faster than solid food, but this doesn’t impact the solid parts of your meal. That just stays in your stomach until it’s digested enough to move along the next part of your digestive tract. Bonus points if you know what part that is…
4. Drinking water with meals MAY trigger reflux symptoms in people with GORD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) – simply because the extra water can add volume to your stomach.
More volume = more pressure. And this pressure can allow acid to move back up the wrong way in susceptible people.
BUT like with everything, it’s always up to you. If you find drinking water with a meal doesn’t work for you, then there’s no need to!
