2864: Drinking Liquids with Meals: Good or Bad by Alina Petre with Healthline on Hydration and Healthy Living

[00:00:00] Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung und die Gains nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl. Denn bei der Ernährung gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund manchmal ganz schön was vor. Sag stattdessen Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach, Yasio. Yasio ist die meistgenutzte Ernährungs-App Europas, made in Germany. Egal ob Massephase oder ein bisschen Abnehmen, tracke Kalorien, Proteine, Carbs, Fette, Bewegung und Intervallfasten. Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten bist du ready für deine Ziele. Let's go! Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily. Drinking Liquids with Meals, Good or Bad by Alina Petre with Healthline.com. And I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal Malik. Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a great start. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read to you from popular health and fitness blogs to help you optimize your health. And with that, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life. Drinking liquids with meals, good or bad?

[00:01:03] By Alina Petre with Healthline.com. Some claim that drinking beverages with meals is bad for your digestion. Others say it can cause toxins to accumulate, leading to a variety of health issues. But can drinking a glass of water with your meals really have negative effects? Or is this just another myth? Here is an evidence-based review of how liquids with meals affect your digestion and health.

[00:01:28] The basics of healthy digestion. To understand why water is thought to disturb digestion, it's useful to first understand the normal digestive process. Digestion starts in your mouth as soon as you start to chew your food. Chewing signals the salivary glands to start producing saliva, which contains enzymes that help you break down the food. Saliva also helps soften the food, preparing it for smooth travel down the esophagus and into the stomach.

[00:01:56] Once in your stomach, food gets mixed with acidic gastric juice, which further breaks it down and produces a thick liquid known as chyme. Chyme eventually moves towards the first part of the small intestine. In the small intestine, chyme gets mixed with digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile acid from the liver. These further break down the chyme, preparing each nutrient for absorption into the bloodstream. Most nutrients are absorbed as the chyme travels through the small intestine.

[00:02:24] Only a small portion remains to be absorbed once it reaches the colon. Once in the bloodstream, nutrients are sent to different areas of the body. Digestion ends when the leftover materials are excreted from the colon through the rectum. Now, depending on what you eat, this whole digestion process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. Bottom line. Food gets mixed with saliva in your mouth and gastric juice in your stomach.

[00:02:49] Once in the small intestine, bile and enzymes break down nutrients and prepare them for absorption into the bloodstream. Do liquids cause digestive problems? There's no doubt about the benefits of drinking enough fluids each day. However, some claim that the timing matters and that drinking them around meals is a bad idea. Here are the three most common arguments used to claim that liquids with meals are bad for your digestion.

[00:03:15] 1. Alcohol and acidic drinks negatively affect saliva. Some argue that drinking acidic or alcoholic drinks with meals dries up saliva, making it more difficult for the body to digest food. This does have some truth to it. Alcohol decreases saliva flow by 10-15% per unit of alcohol. However, this mainly refers to hard liquor, not the low alcohol concentrations in beer and wine.

[00:03:41] In regards to acidic drinks, they actually seem to increase the secretion of saliva. And there's no scientific proof that either alcohol or acidic drinks, when consumed in moderation, negatively affect the digestion or absorption of nutrients. Number 2. Water, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes. Many claim that drinking water with meals dilutes stomach acid and digestive enzymes, making it more difficult for the body to digest food.

[00:04:08] This claim, however, implies that your digestive system is unable to adapt its secretions to the consistency of a meal, which is false. And number 3. Liquids and speed of digestion. A third popular argument against drinking liquids with meals states that fluids increase the speed at which solid foods exit the stomach. This is thought to reduce the meal's contact time with stomach acid and digestive enzymes, resulting in poorer digestion.

[00:04:36] As logical as this statement may sound, no scientific research supports it. A study that analyzed the stomach's emptying speed observed that, although liquids do pass through the digestive system more quickly than solids, they have no effect on the solid's digestion speed. Bottom line. Drinking liquids with meals, whether it's water, alcohol, or acidic drinks, is unlikely to have negative effects on digestion. In some cases, liquids can improve digestion.

[00:05:06] Liquids help break down large chunks of food, making it easier for them to slide down your esophagus and into the stomach. They also help move food matter along smoothly, preventing bloating and constipation. Furthermore, your stomach secretes water along with gastric acid and digestive enzymes during digestion. In fact, this water is needed to promote the proper function of these enzymes. Bottom line.

[00:05:30] Whether consumed during or before meals, liquids play several important roles in the digestion process. Water may reduce appetite and calorie intake. Drinking water with meals can also help you pause between bites, giving you a moment to check in with your hunger and fullness signals. This can prevent overeating and may even help you lose weight.

[00:05:51] In fact, a 12-week study showed that participants who drank 17 ounces of water before each meal lost about 4.4 pounds, around 2 kilograms more, than those who did not. Research also shows that drinking water may speed up your metabolism by about 24 calories for every 8 ounces you consume. Interestingly, the amount of calories burned decreased when the water was warm to body temperature.

[00:06:16] This might be due to the fact that your body uses more energy bringing the cold water up to body temperature. However, observations on the effects of water on metabolism are not universal, and the effects are minor at best. Finally, it's important to note that this mostly applies to water, and not drinks that contain calories. In one review study, total calorie intake was 8-15% higher when people drank sugary drinks, milk, or juice with meals. Bottom line

[00:06:46] Drinking water with meals may help regulate your appetite, prevent overeating, and promote weight loss. This does not apply to beverages that contain calories. Some people shouldn't drink liquids with meals. For most people, drinking liquids with meals is unlikely to negatively affect digestion. That being said, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, liquids with meals may not be for you.

[00:07:13] That's because liquids add volume to the stomach, which can increase stomach pressure, similarly to how a large meal would feel. This can lead to acid reflux for people who have GERD. Bottom line If you suffer from GERD, limiting fluid intake with meals may decrease your reflux symptoms. It comes down to personal choice. When it comes to drinking liquids with meals, base your decision on what feels best.

[00:07:39] If consuming liquids with meals is painful, leaves you feeling bloated, or worsens your gastric reflux, stick to drinking liquids before or between meals. Otherwise, there's no evidence that you should avoid drinking with meals. On the contrary, beverages consumed right before or during meals can promote smooth digestion, lead to optimal hydration, and leave you feeling fuller. Just keep in mind that above all, water is best.

[00:08:09] You just listened to the post titled, Drinking liquids with meals, good or bad? By Alina Petra with Healthline.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Have you ever wondered if your calendar age truly reflects your body's health? I'm passionate about taking control of my well-being, which is why I joined 23andMe Plus Total Health, a revolutionary longevity platform that's transforming how we approach preventive care. What makes this different from traditional health care?

[00:08:38] It starts with advanced genetic screening, giving you insights into potential health predispositions. But it doesn't stop there. You'll get comprehensive blood testing throughout the year, helping you understand how your health changes over time. One of my favorite features is the biological age tool, which I found fascinating, and I think you will too. It measures how your major body systems and organs are aging. And the best part? With lifestyle changes, we could potentially reverse this number.

[00:09:06] You'll also work with clinicians who have specialized genetic training to create a tailored preventive health plan that fits your unique needs. It's like having a roadmap for your health journey. Advocate for your health today. Go to 23andMe.com slash OHD for 10% off. That's 23andMe.com slash OHD. Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:09:33] I'm just going to mention a couple of comments that actually add to what was said in this article. The first is after a workout, it's actually better to drink cool water instead of like room temperature or even warm water. And it's not just because maybe after a workout, you're sweating and you're super hot, and so the cool water will help bring your body temperature down. Yes, that's all true. That's all well and good. But what we're finding is cool water is absorbed more rapidly than room temperature or warm water.

[00:10:03] I know it totally goes against what we thought. And so for athletes, the American College of Sports Medicine actually recommends cool water being consumed after a workout. And the other thing that's a little bit gross to hear about is I get this question, believe it or not, more often than you think. How often should I have a bowel movement each day? Yes, you may be blushing right now just thinking about this kind of topic, but stick with me. Some believe that you should have a bowel movement once after every meal.

[00:10:31] No, that's wrong. What we're finding from research is once a day seems to be just right. Any more than two times a day may mean there's some sort of underlying gastrointestinal issue that probably needs to be checked out by a doctor. And going back to the major theme of the article I just read to you, consuming water with meals is yes, that's absolutely fine. And it is true. There are lots of studies that show that water can help curb appetite.

[00:10:59] And so if you're trying to manage your weight or lose weight, consuming water with meals or even before a meal may help with that. All right, that's enough out of me for today. Thank you as always for listening. I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.