Should You Drink Water While You Eat? Know the Facts!

There is an age old saying that drinking water during meals will disturb your digestion and dilute stomach juices. Advice, that floats around generally, states that you should have water at least 30 minutes after you have had a meal. Studies have been carried out on this subject to find out how true or false these claims are.

• Levels of stomach acid: The claim is that if you drink water during the meal it will dilute the stomach acids, which are required to break the food down. However, doctors have stated in clinical trials that water doesn't tend to have any effect on the levels of stomach acid at all.
• Stomach and digestion process differs from person to person: This might be a thing of personal choice as habits differ from person to person. Also what is tolerable for one person may not be to another. It usually comes down to how your digestive system reacts to drinking water. Some people have claimed that drinking water while consuming food can make them feel bloated. There are no scientific studies proving this and it could be a psychological effect as well.
• Other side of the story drinking water can fill up your stomach before or during a meal: While drinking water may not have adverse effects on digestion, it can fill up the stomach by volume and decrease appetite. Doctors will also suggest drinking a good amount of water just before a meal if you are trying to lose weight as it can suppress your appetite.

Proved pros of drinking water:
Most clinical trials and studies by doctors have proven that drinking small to moderate amounts of water during the meals will help your digestion rather than impeding it. 
Some of the advantages are:

1. Liquefies food in the stomach
2. Helps in nutrient absorption
3. Prevents constipation
4. Stop bloating
5. Softens stool
6. Ensures Lubrication of the digestive tract
7. Helps you control your hunger signals and thus can help you in losing weight

Thus it can be summarized that drinking water during meals is a personal choice and doesn't really have any adverse effects. In fact, drinking moderate amounts of water when having food may actually be beneficial for you. However, if you are not comfortable with this and would prefer drinking after meals, as long as your digestive system is adjusted to it, there are no adverse effects to this as well.