Water has no calories and, therefore, drinking water does not directly contribute to weight gain. However, drinking water during a meal can be a habit that facilitates weight gain, as the water ends up causing the stomach to dilate, which interferes with the feeling of satiety and can lead the person to eat more food.
Furthermore, the consumption of water and other liquids during a meal alters the taste and can interfere with the absorption of some nutrients, so that the meal ends up seeming less nutritious, when it was not.
To avoid the risk of eating more calories and ending up gaining weight, it is recommended to drink water at least 30 minutes before or after a meal, so as not to interfere with food intake.
Does drinking water during a meal make you gain weight?
Drinking water while eating can make you gain weight and this does not happen due to the calories in the drink, which are non-existent, but rather due to the dilation of the stomach that occurs when drinking the drink. This causes the stomach to become larger, resulting in a greater need to eat food to achieve a feeling of satiety. When you eat more food, there is a significant increase in calories consumed and this favors weight gain.
Therefore, even people who only drink water during a meal may experience weight gain that is indirectly related to water intake, as water causes the stomach to dilate.
Furthermore, at an early stage, water can even give a greater feeling of satiety, as it takes up the space that other food would have. However, even if this happens, it is normal for the person to feel even more hungry at the next meal, since, at the previous meal, they did not eat the necessary amount of food, and then it becomes much more difficult to control what they eat. the next time.
Other liquids such as juice, soda or alcoholic beverages directly influence the process of gaining weight, as they contain extra calories to the meal.
When to drink water
Although there is no exact measure, up to 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a meal it is possible to drink liquids without disturbing digestion. This means that mealtime should not be the time to “quench your thirst.”
In addition to when you drink water, it is also important to pay attention to the amount of liquids consumed. This is because quantities greater than 200 mL can interfere with the digestion process of the nutrients present in the meal. Therefore, the meal ends up not being as nutritious as part of the vitamins and minerals cannot be absorbed.
Clarify further doubts by watching the following video:
