No water after meals? Really?

[Big G]

I read somewhere recently that drinking water within 30minutes after a meal dilutes the stomach acid, reduces nutrient absorbsion and can lead to complex digestive disorders. Scary shit!

I've tried avoiding water for 30 minutes but, far too often, I don't check the clock until and hour or so has passed. This loss of six 30-60minute intervals is wreaking havoc with my water intake. I used to guzzle down a gallon and a half every day (no problem) but now I'm finding it hard to get an entire gallon in (since there's so much time in the day when I'm not, allegedly, supposed to drink).

Do I really need to worry about this, or can I back to chugging water (little by little) all day long, like I used to do?

w/thx,
G.

 

[DontStop]

I always drink water before a meallll to jmake me fuller!
Try that.

 

[Plateau_Max]

That is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. Where did you hear this?

 

[tucker01]

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/general-health-awareness/80312-article-digestion-i-wrote.html

 

[Plateau_Max]

Here's another one about water.

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/39764-damn-good-article-water.html

 

[Jodi]

It's not crap at all. 30 mins after is excessive though. I think sipping water while eating is fine but yes, if you drink a lot of fluids while eating it will dilute the enzymes your stomach is producing for proper digestion.

 

[drew_c]

I find it hard to believe that the negatives of drinking water after a meal are worth reducing water intake when following a very intense training program.

It's almost painful to eat so much protein and complex carbs without a lot of water.. And after morning cardio I get insane water cravings

Do you have any further information on this Jodi? It's interesting but, I just don't know...

 

[AKIRA]

Uh huh.

Dont forget that each gram of protein needs more water for absorption than carbs & fats.

Maybe this is subjective and that the word "excessive" is too loosely used.

1 cup of water for a 110lb girl does not = 1 cup of water for a 220lb man.

 

[Big G]

Water on the brain! ;o)

It's not crap at all. 30 mins after is excessive though. I think sipping water while eating is fine but yes, if you drink a lot of fluids while eating it will dilute the enzymes your stomach is producing for proper digestion.

OK, kewl. So I'm OK drinking water immediately after eating, but not an "excessive amount" (presumably that means a lot!!). And, I don't need to wait 30minutes before chugging a big glass. Maybe 15-20 minutes would be fine.

I drink a gallon to a gallon and a half every day. Since I'm awake from 7am to around 11pm that works out as 1/2 to 3/4 of a pint every hour. Drinking this amount of water in the hour following a meal doesn't strike me as "excessive" so, presumably, I can go on with my old ways and not worry about this particularly.

Jodi (Oh great & masterful Food God) - Sound good to you?