Can I drink water immediately after a meal?

Many people are accustomed to eating, washing down food with water. And to finish the meal taken compote, tea or a cup of invigorating coffee. But doctors treat this habit negatively. They are categorically against drinking any kind of drink, including plain water, after eating. Due to this negative attitude to this manner of feeding for many reasons. We will try to understand in order with each of them.

Water benefits

Water is not in vain considered to be the source of life. After all, the human body is more than 70% water. For this reason, all organs and systems need constant replenishment of this vital component. People who consume insufficient amounts of clean water are prone to various diseases and often complain of poor health.

Water is essential for the normal course of digestive processes: it speeds up metabolism, increases appetite, and normalizes acidity.We must not forget that the liquid provides a normal cleansing of the body from toxins. Of course, here we are talking about the amount of fluid that can be considered the norm. This indicator is different for each person, because it depends on its weight, physical activity, individual characteristics and some other factors. On average, an adult should drink up to 3 liters of clean water per day. The volume of fluid needed by the body of a particular person can be easily calculated by the formula: body weight (in kilograms) must be multiplied by 30 ml.

Cons of water consumption after eating

The negative aspects of the habit of drinking water immediately after a meal are due to the fact that such a secret as saliva is involved in the process of chewing food. It contains enzymes that break down food. Thanks to this treatment, the food is safely absorbed by the body. If you drink food with water, this important process is disturbed, and there are no enzymes in the stomach that are in saliva. Therefore, the habit of drinking food with water completely breaks down digestion, and the body as a result loses a lot of nutrients.

Another disadvantage is that water dilutes gastric juice, which affects the quality of food processing. But there are other negative factors that should be recalled:

1. Cold water, like other beverages, reduces the processing time of food. This leads to the fact that a person consumes more calories due to the constant feeling of hunger.
2. The cold liquid immediately goes to the pylorus of the duodenum. Therefore, it is not absorbed at all.
3. Cold liquid significantly slows down the course of metabolic processes, and this, in turn, does not allow for the rapid removal of slags and toxins, which leads to the processes of decay in different parts of the digestive tract.
4. Since food is poorly absorbed, if a person drinks water during a meal, this leads to weight gain.
5. And one more negative feature - the intake of cold drinks in the process of eating contributes to the development of gastritis and dysbiosis.

Given all these factors, nutritionists advise to drink the liquid after the body has completely coped with the digestion of food. This process usually takes 2 hours. At the same time, any cool drinks, even after the specified period, will be perceived by the organism as another meal.

What should be the temperature of drinks

Normal digestion contribute to warm drinks. Therefore, they can safely drink immediately after a meal. A sufficient amount of warm liquid quickly quenches hunger, and this is a good quality to combat excess weight. In addition, warm drinks will only contribute to regular bowel cleansing and prevent constipation.

Ice water that quenches thirst in hot weather can cause significant damage to health. Therefore, such refreshing drinks should not be carried away at all. Nutritionists recommend drinking water at room temperature about half an hour before meals. And people who can not sit at the table without a glass of water, experts advise to drink warm liquid.

Convenient time for drinking liquid

Without water, man simply cannot exist. But in order for this source of vitality to really benefit, you need to know at what time it is best to drink it. Here's what drinking regimen is recommended by nutritionists:

1. In the morning on an empty stomach it is necessary to drink up to 0.4 liters of liquid. This volume will help to fill the lack of fluid accumulated during the night rest.In addition, the habit of drinking a glass of water in the morning will help to "wake up" the stomach.
2. Before bed, it is better not to drink any drinks at all, because it can lead to edema. Only with strong thirst it is permissible to drink a small amount of warm water.
3. As for the possibility of drinking while eating, it is best not to combine these two activities. To prepare the digestive tract for the work ahead, it is enough to drink a full glass of water half an hour before the meal.
4. After a meal, you can drink any drinks only two hours later.
5. If you are thirsty, then regardless of the meal time, you can drink drinks that soothe this unpleasant feeling.

Water is very necessary for our body. Without it, not a single system and organ can work. It is not by chance that in ancient legends it is told about the healing power of living water, which is able to endow with energy, and literally put a hopelessly sick person on their feet. But in the traditions of the ancestors there is also a mention of the water of the dead. These analogies, as well as possible, are confirmed by the results of research by modern scientists. In many ways, it depends on the person himself what kind of drink he drinks.In order for the water to bring only benefit, it is enough to follow the simple recommendations of the specialists listed here.

Video: is it possible immediately after a meal to drink water, tea, coffee