Exact Answer: At Least After Half An Hour
Water is an essential part of our day-to-day life. Though water is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, it is enriched with nutrients that contribute to our good health in many ways. According to many medical experts and health blogs, drinking about 5 to 6 liters of water per day can really help you maintain your physical wellness.
Though you can drink water irrespective of time and day, there are at times you should consider which can be more beneficial if taken without any proper knowledge. People drink water during, before, and after meals. But certain conditions are not known by many that can make a large difference in the process of digesting any meal.
But, for water, drinking water at least half an hour after a meal is much advised. And many reasons contribute to that fact.
How Long After Lunch Can I Drink Water?
| Nutrients found in water | Times you must drink water | Reasons to drink water during and after meals | The appropriate time to drink water after a meal |
| Water consists of various electrolytes like chloride, fluoride, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium. It helps in the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It helps you in lubricating your gastrointestinal tracts. | Times you must drink water in a day, irrespective of time includes after waking up. It also includes before and after a meal, before a bath, and before sleep. | Water helps you break down large components of food, releases certain nutrients and juices, and helps you avoid bloating. | You can drink water about thirty minutes after every meal due to certain reasons. |
Water is a natural commodity, that consists of plenty of nutrients that are good for our health. There isn’t a health issue that can be made better by drinking water. But, there are certain times where you must know when to drink water.
Some medical experts and articles say that drinking beverages or any sort of liquid other than water during meals can have its own drawbacks. Drinking water during meals has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some think beverages might contain certain toxins that will lead to health problems if it interferes with your digestion.
Digestion first begins in your mouth. Once you take a bite of any food, you chew and that secretes saliva the main fluid that softens the food components. After that, the enzymes secreted by saliva break the food particles and help the digestion process.
Why Should I Drink Water Thirty Minutes Later After Any Meal?
After you finish swallowing your food, it reached your digestive tract. Once the food reaches your stomach, it gets mixed up with gastric juice, which is acidic. It also breaks down the food components further. This forms a thick liquid of the food you cook, called chyme.
Chyme again gets mixed with enzymes and bile acid from your pancreas and liver. After all this, all the nutrients found in the food are absorbed by your body in form of nutrients and get mixed in your blood. The waste then gets excreted from your body through your excretory system.
The process of digestion can take up to twenty-four to seventy-two hours. While sometimes water will help you break down the food components and help you in saliva secretion, it might interfere with the process of digestion.
When you drink water, the digestive enzymes and gastric juices released by your stomach might get diluted if you drink water immediately after having a meal. This might sometimes delay digestion. So, it is always better to drink water at least thirty minutes to an hour after every meal. Drinking water is also a must because it plays a vital role in digestion.
Conclusion
If you don’t drink water after a meal, the food particles might not break down well enough, which will also lead to indigestion. So make sure you drink enough water after every meal and maintain a good digestive system.
If you want smooth digestion without any toxics affecting your body, drinking water is highly advised. You can drink all the water you want during meals, but it might cut out your appetite. So, make sure you consume a glass thirty minutes after that.
I always drink water during meals. Thanks for providing the right information.
I agree, Jessica, it’s important to know these things.
Very well-written article.
This will make me think twice before reaching for my water during meals.
I agree.
I’m never drinking water during meals again!
Right? It’s a bit shocking.
Very informative. I had no idea water could interfere with digestion.
It’s interesting to know that drinking water can affect digestion.
Yeah, I never really thought about it.
Me neither.
Great article! The content is well-explained!
It’s also well-cited!
This makes a lot of sense. Now I know the right time to drink water after meals.
Exactly.
I’m not convinced, I need more information before I change my habits.
It’s always good to be careful with new information.
You might want to do some research.
I will have to read more about this. It’s a different perspective.
Yes, it certainly is.
Definitely interesting.