Is it advisable not to drink water during a meal?

I also heard this before. If people drink water middle of eating or when they eat meal then it's bad for health. stomach become thin or people become fat something like that. So we should drink water before eat the meal. Though i don't follow it because sometime we can't follow but i will try to follow it.

Hi Murtuza, I think this matter of drinking water or not is very confusing. Some people say that drinking water a few minutes before a meal helps to induce stomach acids, so that you can digest better when you start to eat the heavy meal a while later. The western meal always come with soup before the main course, and coffee after the meal. It is rare for anyone to drink in the midst of the main course. However, the Chinese keeps on drinking tea throughout a meal. It is silly to say that tea is ok, while drinking water is not. Those people enjoying fast food usually drink soft drinks as they eat, so as to wash down the burger. I usually like a soup to go with rice, so that I can swallow the food.

There seems to be a lot of nonsense talked about this and it's all hearsay. I cannot find one single reputable medical site which says you should not drink water while eating. The main argument of the theory's proponents seems to center round the assumption that drinking water dilutes the acids and digestive juices. This is absolutely not true and, in fact, drinking a reasonable amount of water with food is beneficial because it helps the chewed food disperse and become more easily digested. The Mayo Clinic is one of the more respected dietary sites and they have this to say: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/digestion/AN01776/ The 'World's Heathiest Foods' site is another site which does its research well and they say this: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=120&utm As with all things, a good balance and moderation are the key things. Learn to listen to (or feel) what your body needs. Take sips of water through a meal, especially if there isn't a lot of water in the food you are eating. Chew well, always. Saliva is a pre-digestive and is intended to be the beginning of the digestive process, so the food should be well broken down and mixed with saliva before swallowing. Spending time chewing also gives the stomach time to tell the brain when it is full and this is one of the critical things involved in weight loss. Taking a sip of water after swallowing will help clean the mouth and stimulate the salivary glands.

I have never heard this before. I would think that drinking during a meal would help to keep you from overeating. It would be impossible for me to eat without drinking because I wouldn't be able to swallow food, especially if it was dry. I would like to know where that was written so that I could see who said that or why it was said. Thanks for sharing this.

Well I get thirsty while I eat, so I drink. I feel like I can actually eat more when I have a beverage to drink with my meal, so I don't know if I believe it's bad. It seems like a good thing.

well... i do not know exactly. i usually drink in the middle of eating. it is uncomfortable if i donot drink in the middle of eating.

What?! This is crazy. Who told you such a thing? It's perfectly natural to drink water during a meal; our bodies need fluid! Are you sure some isn't just teasing you? Maggiepie “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” ~ George Santayana

I have always heard it helps with digestion if you drink water during a meal.

No one will advice people not to drink water during meal. Because if we are not drink water it might be risking our lives...

I would think that water would be very good to drink with a meal. You're body needs it anyways to help digest your food and for your kidneys to function properly. Also you do bring up a good point that the heavy feeling prevents the urge to drink more. Try sipping the water instead of downing it. The body needs water to be healthy.

I am not sure, but I think it is okay to drink water in moderation during meals. Not too much, otherwise your tummy will be full and you will not be able to eat the proper food. Drink half a glass of water before meals and half a glass during the meals and at least two glasses after the meals. This has been directed to me by a Nutrition and I think the same goes for everyone.

I've never heard of it before. A lot of times when I eat I drink something or water with it so I don't know. You would think if anything it would help you get full, so you wouldn't eat as much. My son gets full faster when he drinks with supper so I have to have him wait to drink after he eats or he will hardly eat anything.

Definitely, it is not a good idea to have meals without water. Why? For the simple fact that water also serves as lubricants for the food to pass through the necessary pipes in our bodies to reach the stomach and then to the intestines. Water serves as lubricants also.

I have heard something like that. It is recommended not to drink water half an hour before meal and two hours after meal. Surely there are a lot of hipothesis about that so I am not sure in which one I have to believe.

I haven't heard that. But on the other side of the table, you have the fact that drinking water WITH a meal makes you feel fuller, for the people out there trying to lose weight. But I really can't see how water would be bad for your digestion.

My mother had heard that's it's not good to drink with meals also. I have never heard that. I drink water with my meal and then have a cup of tea or something after. Drinking water makes you feel full faster and that is why I drink it. I don't think it has any impact on digestion.

I consider it funny why we should not drink water during a meal because what if we choke? . We can't just rely on saliva alone and water is suppose to be good for our health now why are we not allowed to drink it and especially during a meal? I have water in every meal ever since i can remember and I'm perfectly healthy, so there's really no reason why I should stop that just because of some unfounded advice from health gurus.

I don't know what is right, but I always drink water before, during and after a meal. My intention is both, to lessen my food intake and to help in my digestion. Weel, I guess, I have to research on that, it might have some bad effects on our health.

Personally, I have never been able to eat any meal with anything to drink, whether it's water, tea or soda, I have to have some type of liquid. I have never heard of this before. To me water, helps me digest your food better and in a way it kind of helps you lose a bit of weight, because when you drink liquid you tend to get fuller easier and tend to eat less. But then again, I honestly have no idea, maybe I am mistaken.

As far as I know, water slows down digestion. That's why if you want to lose weight, you have to drink before between and after eating to make the feeling of being full last long. I don't think it's prohibited to drink water while eating. What if you're already choking. :-)