Both food and water are necessary to stay healthy. Often a glass of water remains in front of us at the dinner table; either we keep drinking water in between meals or immediately drinks the glass full after finishing the meal. Many of us have this habit. Before the food is finished the hand moves towards the glass of water. But do you know that doing this can cause harm to you? In Ayurveda, drinking water after or in between meals is considered very wrong. Experts also advise to avoid it. Now the question in your mind will be what harm can happen from this. So let us know about this from experts. Dietician Priyanka Jaiswal is giving information about this.

Why should one not drink water immediately after eating food?

Drinking water immediately after eating food can cause great harm to the digestive system. Experts say that it takes about 2 hours to digest food. When food is being digested, there is a ratio of solid and liquid in the body, but suddenly when we drink water, this ratio gets disturbed and the time taken to digest food increases. Apart from this, the enzymes which digest food are not able to do their work properly due to excess liquid and this liquid harms our digestion. While food is being digested, some nutrients are absorbed by the body, but drinking water disrupts this process and very few nutrients are absorbed by the body.

What are the side effects of drinking water immediately after eating?

  • Drinking water immediately can make you obese. If the digestion process gets affected, undigested food remains in the body which later gets converted into fat.
  • This may increase the blood sugar level. In this situation, there is a risk of diabetes.

There may also be problems of indigestion, gas and bloating

How long after meals is it okay to drink water?

Experts say that it is beneficial to drink water one hour before and 30 to 45 minutes after eating. Drinking water before eating helps you avoid overeating. Also, the body can absorb the nutrients from the food. However, if you feel the need to drink water during meals, you can drink one or two sips of water to help you swallow the food.

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