Could drinking while eating be the cause of your acid reflux and heartburn? Some health experts argue that a person should not drink beverages, particularly water while eating a meal because it dilutes the digestive juices in a person’s stomach, but some say this is a myth that needs to be debunked.
According to HealthXchange, a person should drink a glass of water 30 minutes before eating a meal to help with digestion. The platform, however, warns consumers not to drink too soon before or after eating their food because it can lead to larger problems with digestion. Additionally, they suggest waiting for at least one hour since you’ve eaten to resume drinking a cold glass of water or any beverage for that matter.
On the contrary, registered dietitian Tamara Duker Freuman, author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer, says that this notion is “totally false.”
The reasoning behind the claims that this is a false narrative is based on the digestive process, which begins in a person’s mouth, where food is mashed and softened.
Since the digestion process, in its entirety, is said to take 24 to 72 hours to take place, “the idea that water would dilute the digestive juices in the stomach is untrue for several reasons.”
One thing that negates the claims is that water is absorbed in the stomach, which takes about 20 minutes. “This means any possible dilution would be transient.” However, a governing board member of the American Gastroenterological Association, Deborah D. Proctor, notes, “even if you had a stomach full of water, it would not interfere with digestion of the food.”
Because “enzymes adhere to food particles regardless of the presence of water,” she notes that water does not affect the activity of the enzymes in the way that people suggest when supporting their reasonings why people should not drink water throughout a meal.
This research also argues that the science of digestion and the claims that water can hinder that process simply do not match.
One clear myth, however, is that drinking water before eating does take up space in a person’s stomach, thus causing them to feel a little more full during the meal.
Another is that studies reveal that when a person is trying to lose weight, they are likely to eat less if they drink 1 ½ to 2 cups of water before each meal. The pace at which one drinks the beverage also significantly impacts the process, which is why experts suggest that if you are going to drink water before, during, or after a meal, take it in slowly because chugging and gulping can lead to bouts of burping and gas.
