So, you are trying to decide whether to drink water with your food. Is it beneficial, harmful, or does it not affect the digestion process at all?

You go to the Internet, or to the section of the bookstore, where books on healthy eating are on the shelves.

And you find that there are diametrically opposite points of view on this issue, and both sides seem to be making arguments that seem reasonable. You have no choice but to flip a coin and rely on "maybe". In other words, the mass of sheets covered with writing only led to the fact that people still have to learn from their own mistakes.

Since usually the authors of articles on a similar topic limit themselves to defending their position, not trying to reach a consensus, we decided to try all the same to try on two warring camps, and answer the question "Do I need to drink food?"

The main popularizer of the opinion that one should never drink food was Herbert Shelton. He is also the author of the method of separate feeding.

Shelton argued that water dilutes enzymes, lowers the concentration of gastric juice, promotes the passage of undigested parts of food into the intestines, thereby causing digestive problems, fermentation, bloating, obesity, and so on.

Another Shelton's postulate - in a person's mouth, food should be moistened with saliva, not water. Drinking food, you weaken the action of enzymes contained in saliva, but the process of digestion begins already in the mouth.

Well, Shelton was a diet mentor for many Hollywood stars. Is there any reason not to trust such an authority?

Actually, yes. Beginning with the fact that Shelton, providing treatment and giving his lectures, did not have a medical license, for which he was often fined. “But is the trouble big, you think, a piece of paper,” you say. But after all, he did not have a medical education the same way.

It is also worth clarifying that several decades have passed since the time of Herbert Shelton, during which medical knowledge and nutritional science have advanced, and today his method of separate nutrition is not recognized by most nutritionists.

Then there is Ayurveda, an ancient system of traditional Hindu medicine. She says that you can take water while eating, but half an hour before it, and some time after it, it is highly undesirable. We are also talking here about the dilution of gastric juice and enzymes, only in esoteric terms.

Whether this kind of information should be believed or not is up to you. Many provisions of traditional medicine were later substantiated and adopted by modern medicine, but no less of them were completely refuted.

What does science say? Can I drink water with meals?


Indeed, science refutes some, refutes others, what is it willing to give in return?

Let's consider from a scientific point of view the position of opponents of drinking food with water.

So, water dissolves saliva, which should help start the digestion of food already in the mouth. But the fact is that saliva helps the digestion of carbohydrates, which dissolve well in water! In any case, once they get into the stomach, they break down pretty quickly there.

Does this mean that drinking food with water does not harm the body in any way?

Scientists clarify that you cannot drink too much water with meals. Large amounts of fluids, combined with food intake, can stretch the stomach, which can lead to obesity.

Also, frequent large sips should not be taken, because otherwise much more air enters the stomach and intestines along with them, which causes bloating, belching and flatulence.

And one more thing - the water should be at room temperature. If it is cold, it irritates the mucous membrane, the walls of the stomach and intestines begin to contract vigorously, pushing the food lump too quickly. This is precisely what can cause undigested food to enter the lower gastrointestinal tract, and cause them to rot.

Does water alter gastric acid concentration and general acidity?

As already mentioned, Shelton believed that water diluted gastric juice, making digestion ineffective. However, water does not mix with stomach acid, scientists say, so it cannot dilute it in any way. As for the enzymes, which, according to the adherents of the star nutritionist, washes water from the walls of the stomach, in fact, it can even facilitate their delivery to the swallowed food.

In addition, do not forget that the walls of the stomach have folds that significantly increase its area, which means that it is simply impossible to completely flush something from its mucous membrane.

Experiments were carried out, which confirmed that water also has almost no effect on the acidity level.

For example, about 300 grams of this liquid will slightly reduce the acidity of the stomach if you drink it on an empty stomach, but not at all. If you take this, or less, gradually and in the process of eating, then the influence can be completely neglected.

And if you still think that a glass of water can significantly reduce acidity, try using it to treat heartburn.


Probably, opponents of drinking water with food did not just come to their conclusions. Although, as we can see, in general, science refutes their categorical statements, there is something reasonable in their arguments. What do we get by trying to reconcile the two approaches?

    Use clean water at room temperature.

    You can drink juice or other non-carbonated drink. But it is better to abstain from milk, it just helps to stimulate fermentation processes in the intestines.

    Don't drink too much.

    All is well within reasonable limits, and a glass of water will be enough for you to complete your meal. Drink in small sips, not too quickly and often. Then the water will not harm, and even help you to digest food.

    Drinking food is not at all necessary.

    This should only be done if you are eating something very dry. Then you really need water, and you probably understand that. You also need to drink if you feel like it. The body is unlikely to lie to you in this regard.

    Remember to chew your food thoroughly.

    It is poor chewing followed by rapid swallowing of food along with water that causes poor digestion, and not the water itself.

Truth is always somewhere in between. There is no need to categorically refuse water during a meal, but you should not abuse it either.

Water, like any other substance, depending on the amount, can be harmful or beneficial.

We hope that this article helped you to understand the issue, and with all our hearts we wish you health, bon appetite and pleasure from your favorite food!

There are many reasons for this, which are important for both health and weight loss.

Why you can't drink food: features of the drinking regime before and after meals ^

Many women who are on a diet are often interested in: is it possible to drink water with food? A few years ago, the famous nutritionist Herbert Shelton proved that drinking fluids after a meal not only adversely affects weight loss, but also health itself.

  • There is only one situation when drinking food with water is beneficial - if something dry was eaten: a bun, a slice of bread, etc.
  • This is due to the fact that such products are difficult to digest, moreover, they absorb gastric juice and are poorly absorbed.

Is it possible to lose weight if you do not drink food

Of course, the results of the diet largely depend on the diet itself, and one ban on water after meals, in any case, cannot be dispensed with. Losing weight should consider 5 reasons why it is not recommended to drink drinks after a meal:

  • When drinking, appetite increases, and in this case, the whole point is lost even from a full breakfast, lunch or dinner;
  • If you drink fatty foods with cold water, it can stop digestion due to temperature changes, and fat will remain in the stomach;
  • You can drink food only with dry wine, because it stimulates digestion and facilitates the absorption of foods.

There is one general rule that unites all diets: you can drink water half an hour before meals and 1 hour after. If you follow it, you will be able to achieve the most effective weight loss.

Drinking food with liquid: health benefits and harms ^

Can I drink cold water with food?

As stated earlier, drinking fluids after meals is not recommended, and there are several reasons for this:

  • Cold water speeds up digestion, and the nutrients contained in foods are practically not absorbed;
  • The liquid liquefies saliva, weakens its splitting effect, and reduces the concentration of gastric juice. Ultimately, digestion is disturbed, and food ends up in the intestines prematurely.

This raises a reasonable question: is it possible to drink warm water with food? In fact, the temperature of the liquid does not really matter, so warm water drunk after eating plays the same role as cold water.

Can I drink tea with food

Many people have a habit of drinking a cup of tea after a meal, but this should not be done for several reasons:

  • The tannins contained in it reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, so they absorb chewed foods much worse;
  • This reduces the absorption of food in general.

Is it possible to drink food with kefir

A distinctive feature of this fermented milk drink is that after eating it can be drunk:

  • Kefir practically does not dilute gastric juice,
  • Improves digestion,
  • Prevents fermentation and decay of food in the intestines,
  • Removes harmful substances.

Is it possible to drink food with milk

It is impossible to drink food with milk only in a few cases:

  • If meat has been eaten before: the iron contained in it will be poorly absorbed due to the presence of calcium in milk;
  • After eating buns: This can cause stomach pains:
  • Do not drink milk with fresh vegetables, plums, fish and sausages, so as not to provoke rotting in the intestines and indigestion.

Is it possible to drink coffee with food

There is a misconception about the ban on coffee after meals, because this drink increases the appetite. This is partly true, but this happens only before meals. If you drink it afterwards, it will improve the absorption of foods.

It is worth noting that such a nuance applies only to homemade dishes, because if you drink fast food coffee, the harm from it will increase several times.

Is it possible to drink food with juice

  • Drinking juice after meals is also not recommended: it can cause the muscles of the digestive system to contract, as a result of which incompletely digested food ends up in the intestines.
  • The same applies to drinking food with compote: it simply liquefies gastric juice and negatively affects digestion.

Can I drink mineral water with food

  • Carbonated drinks are considered harmful, especially if you drink them after meals: they provoke the formation of gas, impair the absorption of food.
  • If we talk about mineral water without gas, then it has the same effect as ordinary water.

Can children drink food

You can give your child water during or after a meal only when he eats dry food. In all other cases, the liquid affects the child's body in the same way as an adult.

Is it possible to drink food with gastritis

  • The detrimental effect of liquid after eating on the digestive organs also affects gastritis, especially if there are problems with the acidity of gastric juice.
  • In addition, the resulting stagnation of digestion can provoke an exacerbation of the disease, so you should refrain from water for at least 1 hour after eating.

Is it possible to drink food to lose weight: the opinion of nutritionists ^

For several years in a row, nutritionists have carried out various experiments, and in the end they found that it is impossible to lose weight by drinking food:

  • Food is not digested - which means that soon appetite appears again, and as a result - excess weight;
  • The appearance of putrefactive processes in the intestines due to the consumption of liquid after a heavy meal can cause a number of diseases.

Thus, it is unlikely that it will be possible to lose weight by drinking food, so in this case it is best to use the rule proven over the years: drink only an hour after a meal.

Can I drink food? Many people are convinced that the use of compote "on the third" during the meal brings benefits to the digestive system.

Although this question is undoubtedly controversial, the truth has not yet been found and there are also supporters of the theory that the more liquid, the better. In order not to repeat mistakes, it is necessary to properly understand the issue.

Do I need to drink food? First of all, it is worth considering the process of digestion of food by our body in stages. It is no secret that it begins in the oral cavity.

The better we chew food - the better it will be absorbed and the more benefit it will bring us... As a child, parents teach us to do at least thirty chewing movements in one bite.

At the same time, it should be recognized that not only chewing movements help to assimilate food. Also of no small importance is the allocation of a special secret with saliva, which acts only in the mouth.

In the stomach, its benefit drops sharply, because the environment of this organ is more acidic. So, diluting your food with liquid, you wash off this very secret and the food remains without its direct impact.

That's why drinking with food is not advisable so that he can do all his work to the fullest.

It should also be remembered that in no case should you drink food with cold drinks... After taking kvass or chilled iced tea from the refrigerator, you should not use it with food.

Indeed, in this way you cool your food and it simply does not have time to integrate into the intestinal microflora, remaining undigested.

That is, you will not feel a full-fledged feeling of satiety, which means you will want to eat more and more. Direct road to obesity, isn't it?

This applies to constant sips of liquid along with chewing food to the same extent. You do not completely chew the last one, and as a result, it leaves, and does not bring any benefit.

It is best, if you really cannot avoid drinking liquids with food, use a slightly warm tea for this purpose.... Too hot can also hurt.

But it will allow your body to better cope with the processes of digestion, especially if we are dealing with dry food.

Some advise to drink half an hour before meals. thus you better prepare your stomach for food and work. But it should be noted that it is important what exactly you are going to drink.

The best is plain, preferably as pure as possible, water. But if you still want something different, then citrus drinks will help with low stomach acidity.

But any others cocktails or juices will avoid problems in case of high acidity.

Remember that it is generally not advisable to drink meat and fish, as this can lead to flatulence. Also, it is not recommended to use drinks that cause fermentation in the body as a drink.

Beer and kvass are highly undesirable, especially in the world of nutritionists, they are all considered food, not drinks. In fact, the drink is just pure water, no additives.

Everything else has calories. This means the nutritional value and the effect on the gastric walls.

The second important aspect of liquid when eating food is the fact that it significantly dilutes gastric juice. As a result, food is not completely digested and this causes it to rot inside the intestines or already in the stomach.

True, there is a good point in the fact that very it is useful to combine eating food with drinking fermented milk products... Such drinks as yoghurt, kefir and fermented baked milk will allow you to improve the microflora and help the stomach.

Another thing is coffee, tea and compote, which cannot replace fermented milk products. Moreover, regular consumption of tea after meals provokes an excess of tannin in the human body, which provokes many diseases of the digestive system.

Many people talk about the health benefits of milk during meals. But they also completely forget that dairy products wash out iron from food, which is so necessary for our body.

But a glass of wine will not hurt- after all, light alcohol helps to activate metabolic processes and stimulate digestion.

Bon appetit and get rid of the habit of drinking the wrong food!

Water is the basis of life, and it plays a huge role in the human body. Therefore, doctors recommend drinking a sufficient amount of clean liquid throughout the day. But does it matter when a person drinks? Of course yes. It is important to know how much water you can drink after eating.

Why is it harmful to drink food, and what to do if you want to drink while eating

Many people have the habit of always supplementing food with water or juice. In previous years, it was customary to wash down lunch with compote or tea. Scientific recommendations of the 40s of the last century were the need to consume one milliliter of water per calorie of food. However, modern nutritionists oppose drinking. In their opinion, food should be ingested separately from liquid.

Is it harmful to drink while eating

When a person eats dry food, he has to chew the pieces for a long time. This factor contributes to the secretion of a large amount of saliva, which contains a special enzyme that disinfects food entering the stomach. In addition, well-chewed food is absorbed faster and more completely, which is also beneficial for the body. After all, the load on the other organs of the digestive tract decreases.

Many are worried about the question of whether it is possible to drink food at this moment? This is not worth doing. However, if you have not drunk the water beforehand, you may be tempted to drink while you eat, especially if the food itself is not too juicy. In such a case, a small amount of water can help digestion. Remember that if there is a lack of water balance, serious intestinal problems can begin. It is also important to drink correctly:

  • drinking water while eating should be done in small sips;
  • you should not swallow water immediately, you need to chew it and mix it with saliva, then it will have the most beneficial effect.

It must be remembered that you need to drink only water that has a temperature close to body temperature:

  • too cold will simply force undigested food out of the stomach;
  • hot will have an irritating effect on its walls, preventing the process of splitting products.

After meal

Recent studies show that drinking water immediately after a hearty meal is not very beneficial for humans.

  • Food that enters the stomach is broken down by gastric juice with the enzymes it contains. If water gets there at this moment, it reduces its concentration. The digestion process slows down. Not having time to split completely, the food passes further into the intestines.
  • Due to the increase in the breakdown time, the load on all organs involved in the digestion process, as well as on the heart, increases. With that said, is it okay to drink water immediately after eating?
  • It is especially harmful to drink food with too cool water or drinks from the refrigerator - juice, soda. Such liquid quickly displaces incompletely split food from the stomach. Foods that should be digested in it for several hours leave it much earlier - literally in 20-30 minutes. The feeling of hunger quickly returns, the person has a snack again. Therefore, people who drink cold drinks with food often gain excess weight.
  • Undigested food that has entered the intestines is subject to putrefactive processes and gas formation. The body will not receive the necessary nutrients and energy from the breakdown of food. Moreover, the products of putrefaction through the intestinal wall will be absorbed into the bloodstream, exerting a toxic effect and an unnecessary burden on the pancreas and heart.
  • Water, if drunk in the first minutes after a meal, increases the volume of the stomach, as a result of which portions become imperceptibly larger, gradually leading to excess weight.
  • Even green or herbal tea, known for its beneficial properties, will inhibit intestinal activity by delaying food breakdown reactions if consumed immediately without waiting for some time after eating.

Is there an effect on weight and weight loss

Water is invaluable in the fight against excess weight. It dissolves harmful metabolic products that have a toxic effect and removes them from the body. By freeing them from toxins, the systems function more efficiently. However, you need to know exactly when to drink water.

Water, drunk before meals, has a positive effect on the body, in about 20-40 minutes. Experiments have shown that it helps:

  • noticeably reduce the feeling of hunger;
  • stimulate digestion processes;
  • remove the remnants of digestive juices from the stomach;
  • maintain a normal water balance;
  • satisfy hunger with much less food.

A good morning habit will be a glass of water with a slice of lemon, drunk on an empty stomach. You can prepare a drink in the evening so that it is saturated with citrus flavor and vitamins. It activates metabolic processes, helping to wake up. Many are afraid to drink in the evening for fear of edema. However, they can be caused by salty food, which retains water in the body.

How much after a meal can you drink, what exactly and what temperature

Can I drink water after a hearty meal? In answering this question, you should give the recommendations of nutritionists. They are as follows. After the next meal, there should be enough time before you can drink any drinks. The completion of the digestion process depends on many factors, including the type of food and the way it is prepared. Nutritionists recommend different time frames for different foods:

  • after fruits and berries, you can drink in 30-40 minutes;
  • after salads from fresh vegetables, 1 hour is enough;
  • if a "heavy" dish was served for lunch, you must wait 2-3 hours.

Drinks that are too cold should not be consumed in any case, as they have a negative effect on the body. It is difficult to get enough with such water or compote. This property of the human body is used with great success by establishments specializing in instant food. Only they strive to increase sales, not to improve the health of customers.

Scientists claim that drinking fluids while eating will impair the effects of saliva. It is known that human saliva, even in the mouth, promotes the digestion of food. Therefore, washing down food with water, we interfere with the natural digestive process, skipping its first stage. Proper nutrition is an essential criterion for our health. Observing it, the human body should receive only the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Often in the process of eating, we wash down food with water. Regarding why you can't drink water with food, there is a lot of discussion.

Why is drinking water during meals dangerous for the body?

Many, having the habit of drinking water with food, do not even think about its consequences. Answering the question “ why you can not drink food with water? ", Consider the main aspects of the influence of this process on the human body:

  • Water consumed with food enters the stomach, diluting the gastric juice. As a result, the digestion process slows down, and the bactericidal properties of gastric juice deteriorate.
  • Drinking water in parallel with eating food dilutes the concentration of salivary enzymes, which contribute to the proper digestion of food.
  • The water we drink while eating, along with the air enters the intestines. This can result in increased gassing.
  • Drinking food, we also increase the volume of our stomach. This in turn leads to excess weight and overeating.

What drinks should you absolutely not drink with food?

It is known that most problems with digestion and absorption of food products occur due to excessively drunk liquids during meals. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the consumption of drinks during the meal.

Some types of liquid need to be completely excluded:

  1. carbonated drinks (lead to excessive gas formation in the digestive system);
  2. tea and other hot drinks (slow down the absorption of food by the stomach);
  3. alcoholic beverages (trace elements contained in alcohol lead to poor digestion of food and negatively affect the liver);
  4. cold drinks (cause stimulation of peristalsis and movement of food directly into the intestines). Thus, the normal digestive process is disrupted, food is poorly absorbed, and further problems with excess weight may arise;
  5. dairy drinks and milk (enzymes contained in dairy products, getting into the stomach, start the fermentation process);
  6. fruit juices (the acids contained in this drink interfere with the absorption and breakdown of proteins).

Despite the above, there is an exception to the rule. The ideal drink, which, according to nutritionists, can be washed down with food is warm water. It promotes better assimilation of food and the normal functioning of the digestive tract (gastrointestinal tract) system.