Water - When is the Right Time to Drink it?

If you are concerned about whether you should drink water right before and after a meal, you should know that there are different ideologies and beliefs. Many doctors suggest you should not drink water before a meal, in between a meal or after a meal. Some say that you should not have water before and after a meal, but you can have it in between. Hence, there is a lot of confusion over this subject. Here is an analysis, according to Ayurveda about why you should not drink water just before or after having a meal.

When to drink water?
According to many doctors and studies, it is recommended that you should not take water in between a meal. However, according to Ayurveda, you should drink water in between your mealtime, instead of having it before or after.

Drinking water before a meal
According to Ayurveda, water before taking a meal is capable of diluting and weakening of your digestive strength and capacity. This is because of the factor that water is a coolant and having it before a meal opposes your digestive strength. Thus, you should avoid having water right before you sit down for a meal.

Drinking water after a meal

Drinking water right after having a meal is considered to affect the quality of the food you intake, along with your digestive strength. A touch of its coolant effect is conveyed to whatever food you have consumed. This may make a person obese over a certain period of time. Therefore, you must not have water immediately after finishing a meal.

Drinking water in between a meal
This is the proper thing to do as per the principles of Ayurveda. Drinking water while you are having a meal helps in moistening the food you are eating. It helps in breaking down the food particles into small fragments. It also quenches your thirst in between a meal. Hence, drinking water in between a meal is considered ideal.

What to do in case you need to take a medicine before meals?
In case you have to take a prescribed medicine before a meal, you must drink water 20 minutes before the meal. Do not have a lot of water and only take the amount you need to gulp down your medicines.
There are counter views regarding this subject, which say that you should drink water right before, and after a meal, as it helps in digestion. Diabetic patients are adviced to take medicine of diabetes with the meal or just before having the meal.