Whenever there's a discussion about weight loss, you always hear the mantra of “Drink more water”. Of course we could all use more water since dehydration can bring on fatigue and is particularly dangerous if you're active when the temperature climbs. But what about drinking water with meals? Is this a healthy practice?

Some controversy exists around the issue of whether drinking liquids with meals is healthy. Many experts believe if you drink water with meals you're diluting the hydrochloric acid in your stomach as well as the digestive enzymes needed for the effective digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This could potentially lead to bloating and abdominal distension after meals. Indeed there are some people who report experiencing these symptoms when they drink water with a meal. Other experts believe that it would take a very large amount of water consumption to have a major impact on the concentration of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes and in your system and would encourage people to drink water with meals as needed.

With regard to the weight loss issue, some of the experts believe that drinking substantial amounts of water and other calorie free liquids both with meals and between meals promotes a sensation of fullness and prevents overeating. Where does this leave you with regard to the decision to drink water with meals?

Most likely the issue of water consumption won't significantly alter your digestive function unless you happen to be deficient in hydrochloric acid to begin with. Interestingly enough, some studies show that up to half of the general population has some degree of deficiency of digestive acids. In these people, adding significant amounts of water to their already depleted levels of stomach acid could cause abdominal bloating and distension. This would occur because sufficient levels of stomach acid are needed to activate digestive enzymes. It's more likely that digestive problems such as abdominal bloating that relate to water consumption stems from volume overload of the stomach rather than dilution of stomach acid or digestive enzymes.

If you choose to drink water with meals can it really help to promote weight loss? While this would seem plausible, studies have shown that drinking water has little effect on food consumption. It seems that it's the consumption of foods with a high moisture content such as soup that promotes a feeling of satiety and prevents overeating rather than the actual intake of water.

Analysis

If you're not known to be deficient in stomach acid, drinking moderate amounts of water with meals shouldn't lead to digestive problems, although consumption of large amounts of liquid could result in volume overload. This may give symptoms of abdominal distension and bloating. If you choose to drink water with meals in an attempt to lose weight, you're probably better served substituting a food with high moisture content such as soup to promote satiety rather than drinking straight water.