Why You Really Should Drink Water During Meals

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I heard that it’s bad to drink water (or other fluids) during meals. Is that true?

Actually, the opposite is true: It’s great to have a glass of water with you at the table. Some folks claim that consuming fluids with your food dilutes the bile and stomach acid needed to break down and absorb nutrients. But if anything, drinking water helps your stomach liquefy food, which aids in digestion and nutrient absorption; it may also prevent constipation and bloating by softening stools and keeping your digestive tract lubricated. Drinking H2O with your meals can also keep you from overeating. It helps fill you up faster and also encourages you to take breaks from your food, causing you to slow down and check in with your hunger signals.

Health‘s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine and co-founder of Tula Skincare.

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