Experts advise drinking water regularly throughout the day, but there is a misconception that drinking water immediately following eating can be harmful to health.
The harm of drinking water immediately following eating
Decreased digestion efficiency:
Some experts say that drinking water immediately following eating can reduce the efficiency of digestion.
Drinking water following eating reduces the concentration of acid secreted by the stomach, which affects the ability to properly digest food.
Increased gastric acidity:
Drinking water following eating increases stomach acid levels. This can lead to an increased risk of heartburn, bloating, and gas.
stomach bloating:
When the stomach is filled with water following eating, it cannot secrete the juices responsible for the digestion process, and thus the stomach is filled with gases, which leads to annoying stomach bloating.
Reducing the effectiveness of nutrient absorption:
Drinking water immediately following eating can reduce the efficiency of absorption of nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium and zinc.
This can affect the ability to properly use nutrients.