The ‘Gut Health Doctor’ team has recently addressed the age-old question of whether drinking water with meals aids or hinders digestion, debunking several myths in the process. They clarified that water does not ‘flush’ food through the system or weaken digestive enzymes, but it may help some people feel fuller or cause temporary reflux symptoms for others.
“For most people drinking a glass of water with a meal won’t have any negative impact on digestion,” they stated in a blog post. “And if you’re a fast eater, sipping on water during your meal could actually be a good thing to help you slow down.”
“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! ” they added.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Michael Picco, a MayoClinic gastroenterology specialist, also supports the idea that drinking water during meals is generally benign. “There’s no concern that water thins down or weakens down (dilute) the digestive juices or interfere with digestion,” he said.
“In fact, drinking water during or after a meal helps how your body breaks down and processes food (digestion).
“Water is vital for good health. Water and other drinks help break down food so that your body can take in (absorb) the nutrients.”
Beyond this, a 2009 study found that drinking water before meals could aid weight loss, with participants shedding up to 2kg after consuming 500ml of water daily before dinner. More recent research from the University of California echoed these findings.
Although not solely focused on drinking water with food, one trial saw individuals who drank more water achieve between ‘44% and 100%’ greater weight losses than control groups. This was particularly true for those consuming six cups of water per day.
“For such a ubiquitous and simple intervention, the evidence hasn’t been clear and the benefits were not well-established, so we wanted to take a closer look,” said senior and corresponding author Benjamin Breyer. “The amount of rigorous research turned out to be limited, but in some specific areas, there was a statistically significant benefit. To our knowledge, this is the first study assessing the benefits of water consumption on clinical outcomes broadly.”