Whether or not to have water with meals

Water is essential for optimum health. The human body can last for weeks without food, but only days without water. It forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones.

However, you must have heard that having water in between meals, after meals or even before meals makes it difficult for your body to digest food. Some say it can cause toxins to accumulate, leading to a variety of health issues. Ayurveda as well a lot of religious scriptures advice against it too.

Firstly, there has been no human study that says drinking water with your meals can dilute your stomach acids enough to weaken your digestion. However, we cannot avoid the fact that adding water to your stomach acid, namely; Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) whose predominant function is the breakdown of difficult to digest protein and absorption of vitamins and minerals will definitely dilute it and probably reduce its effectiveness.

Also, the type of meal you have may influence the need for water. For example; fiber naturally pulls water. You may often observe that after/during having salad you feel more thirsty. While having a protein rich meal it is best if you avoid water for better digestion.

Along with this, the type of water you drink before/ during a meal also matters. Drinking alkaline water can further neutralize your stomach acids, while sipping on acidic water like apple cider vinegar can improve digestion. In conclusion, whether you drink or avoid drinking water can be completely based on your body type. Do what suits you best. If you do feel thirsty and need to sip on water, please go ahead. If you don’t need it, it's best to avoid it.

1) After waking up

Drink one glass of water after waking up to help activate your internal organs. The water will help remove any toxins before your first meal of the day.

2) Before a meal

Drink one glass of water 30 minutes before a meal to help digestion. Remember not to drink too soon before or after a meal as the water will dilute the digestive juices. Drink water an hour after the meal to allow the body to absorb the nutrients.

3) Before a bath

Drink one glass of water before taking a bath to help lower your blood pressure.

By: Kajal Wattamwar and Bushra Qureshi, Dieticians and CO-Founder of Healthy Steady Go

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