Facts of Drinking Water During Meals

Found this interesting facts from here. Rasanya kebanyakan org dah sedia maklum about this fact. But I believe that some still not know it pretty well, including me. Read this..

Research suggests that a small amount of liquid during meals should be okay. But drinking a lot of water, juice, or soda can cause digestion problems. Liquids taken during meals can dilute digestive enzymes and stomach acids in the stomach as well as saliva in the mouth. These are essential to break down the food and absorb nutrients. Because it’s harder to break down the food, the stomach may produce more acids, which could result in heartburn or acid reflux. This could possible put more pressure on the small intestines as well because the food is passed along from the stomach without being broken enough.

Drinking lots of water during meals can affect the insulin level in the blood. When we eat carbohydrates, the blood sugar level goes up. Because the body needs only a certain amount of sugar to convert to energy, the extra sugar is stored in the body by insulin.

That is, insulin controls the blood sugar level by storing extra sugar. Extra sugar is stored first in the liver and the muscles as glycogen - only a small amount of glycogen can be saved at a time - and then, the rest of the extra sugar is stored as saturated fat in the body.

When people drink lots of water during meals, it’s believed that it increases the blood sugar faster - as if we eat high glycemic index food* - and it increases insulin secretory as well. The more insulin is released, the more fat it’s likely to store in the body. Because the reserve of the liver and the muscles are limited, the more fat is generated.

It seems that there are not enough scientific evidences to prove these points. However, more people suggest it’s best not to drink much water, juice or soda while you eat a meal. Try to cut down on water or other drinks during a meal, especially when you often have stomach issues.

Examples of high GI (Glycemic Index) food
(Food over GI 70 is considered high GI food.)

Baguette (white, plain) 95
Potato (baked) 85
Cornflakes 83
Pretzels 81
Waffles 76
Doughnut 76
Chips 75
White rolls 73
Watermelon 72
White bread 71
Some white rice