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It is vital that your body receives its much-needed dose of minerals through water. But downing a glass of water just before your meals may not be the best time to quench your thirst.
When you drink water right before meals, the digestive juices that are released to digest your food get diluted. This hinders your food from breaking down, and the undigested food in your stomach then causes acidity and heartburn. Shonali Sabherwal, a Macrobiotic counselor, says, Your stomach has a knack of knowing when you will eat and starts releasing digestive juices immediately. If you start drinking water right before your meals, you are diluting the digestive juices, thereby stopping them from breaking down food.
According to well-known dietician, Neha Chandna, another reason you should not drink water right before your meals is because it may cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. When your body does not digest the foods well, it makes the glucose in food to be stored as fat. There is then, a surge of insulin that increases your overall blood sugar levels.
Sipping a little water before meals may not be a concern but drinking glass or two of water right before meals may interfere with your digestion. It is, therefore, advisable that you drink water 30 minutes before your meal to aid digestion. Also drink water half an hour after your meal, as this will allow your body to absorb the nutrients well.
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