Is drinking water with meals a bad habit?
There are certain claims regarding drinking beverages or water with meals and their effects on digestion. In our country, it is generally considered that drinking water with meals is quite bad for digestion. Some people also believe that it can cause toxins to accumulate, which will lead to several health issues.
Let’s see how drinking water or beverages between meals can effect the digestion.
• Healthy digestion.
The digestion process of food starts as soon as you keep the food in your mouth. Once it reaches to your stomach it gets mixed with several other acidic gastric juices. Where the food further breakdowns and produce a thick paste. Food then slowly moves to small intestine where this thick paste gets make the with several digestive enzymes. The last step of the food is through large intestine, where remaining nutrients and water is absorbed and the waste product is passed through colon.
The time required for digestion depends upon how you eat and what you eat.
• How water between meals effects digestion?
Health experts claim that drinking water between meals or after the meals may dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes. This will subsequently make them quite weak to digest your food properly and efficiently.
Thus, it becomes quite difficult for your digestive system to digest the intake food. So you should generally avoid a habit of having water after or between meals.
• What about alcohol and other acidic beverages?
Alcohol basically affects the saliva in the mouth. People claim that drinking as it is for alcoholic drinks may dry up the saliva content. Thus, digestion of food will start with a slow pace. Moreover, alcohol also decreases saliva flow by 15%. But till now it is only proved for high alcohol beverages.
• The final takeaway.
For coming to the conclusion which is, one should avoid drinking alcoholic, acidic beverages or water with meals. This may affect your digestive system and health. Drinking water after meals also slow down the digestion process.
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