There are rumors that drinking water while eating could interfere with digestion, and cause the stomach to swell. So, info or poison?

This is a hotly debated question, and one for which there are two schools of thought, with all kinds of possible explanations.

The important thing to remember is that the body is made up mainly of water , and that it represents about 65% of our weight. What you really should not do, therefore, is to lack it. “The rule”, or at least what is strongly recommended, is to consume 1.5 L of water per day. This is what the body needs to function well. THAT is the basis!

When it comes to meals, some nutritionists claim that drinking water while eating causes a feeling of bloating, swelling the belly, or even disrupting digestion …

Water is an important building block for digestion because it helps liquefy food and therefore helps digestive juices do their job. As a result, food is better assimilated, and transit is better regulated.

What you should avoid, however, are large swipes in one fell swoop. There, indeed, there is a risk of reflux, bloating and swelling.

So, when we say “drink 1.5 L of per day”, it is not drinking 1 L of water during the meal of course, but spreading the intakes well … throughout the day.

The question would rather be: how to drink water during meals? It is advisable to drink small sips of plain water, at room temperature at the beginning or at the end of meal. Carbonated water is allowed, but then very fine bubbles, to avoid bloating. Also avoid ice-cold water, which can weaken the throat and stress the intestines.

NB: If you have a strong feeling of thirst during meals, remove sugary drinks from the table and reduce the salt.

Some people are more “fragile” and prone to bloating and reflux. They should be more careful not to drink during meals.

Drinking water induces a (light) feeling of satiety , so, therefore, we will eat a little less if we drink water before and during the meal, because we will have the feeling of having a “full” stomach.

But beware, this false feeling of fullness is not always beneficial. This is because the stomach decides the order of digestion based on the pH of food , so the water will always be “digested” first. So, we leave the table thinking we are full and we nibble a few hours later because the amount of food ingested was not sufficient in the end.

A good point therefore if you are careful with your weight: you have decided to eat less during meals and you will not snack. On the other hand, if you are not paying attention to your figure, or if you are in a period of weight gain or in case of loss of appetite, drinking water with meals is not recommended.

In conclusion, we should drink regularly and also when we are thirsty … do not wait to be dehydrated! The body knows better than anyone what it needs, so above all, let’s listen to it! If you’re struggling to drink enough water to keep your body healthy, try our DETOX sugar-free slimming drink . Available in 3 flavors: tea-peach, pineapple and pomegranate.