Many people are accustomed to drinking water or soup with their meals, but experts believe the scientific approach is to drink water before a meal. "Drinking while eating" can easily lead to indigestion, which is detrimental to health.
Xu Zhenghe, an expert from the Shandong Provincial Academy of Water Sciences, explained that scientific research shows it is best to drink water in small amounts several times one hour before a meal. The ideal amount is two to three hundred milliliters at a time, consumed every ten minutes or so. Water consumed on an empty stomach stays in the stomach for only a few minutes, quickly enters the small intestine, is absorbed into the bloodstream, and can replenish the body's tissues and cells within about an hour.
Experts believe that drinking a small amount of soup with a meal is beneficial, but drinking while eating, or using water or soup to help swallow food, is a bad habit. This is because drinking large amounts of water or soup at this time affects the secretion of digestive fluids, and the water will dilute the acidity of gastric juice, leading to indigestion. Since the body's fluid balance is maintained, sufficient digestive fluids can be secreted during the meal, which increases appetite and aids digestion.
Some scholars in Japan advocate drinking a glass of warm water before breakfast. This is because a significant amount of water is lost through insensible sweating and urination during sleep. After waking up, even if you don't feel thirsty, the body can still become dehydrated, causing the blood to become thick. A glass of water can reduce blood concentration, dilate blood vessels, promote blood circulation, and is beneficial for lowering blood pressure and preventing cerebral hemorrhage and myocardial infarction.