Why isn't it Good to Drink Water or Another Liquid During Meals?

I was asked this same question by three people this week and it's possible that other people who follow me on twitter (@glycotrainer) thought the same thing but didn't work up the courage o simply forgot to ask for an explanation.

The Answer
The stomach is similar to a chemistry container. Whatever we put into our mouth enter the stomach and it is forced to dismantle everything in the quickest way possible so it can pass through to the large intestine (for more information about the digestive tract, visit our Gastrointestinal Tract page).

The stomach has two main components to destroy what get into it, acids and enzymes. As soon as something reaches the stomach, it is attacked and degraded by enzymes and acid while the stomach begins to squeeze GENTLY with the hope that it will accelerate the process (just like stirring a glass of salt and water so it dissolves more quickly).



In chemistry, water is used to dilute solutions of all types (including enzyme and acid solutions of all sorts of concentrations). The more water that is added in the lab, the least concentrated and potent each solution becomes.

It's the same thing in the stomach. Water enters and dilutes the enzymes and acids, making the stomach work harder for a longer period of time in digesting what it has to digest.

A lot of people's digestion can be improved by the addition of a fiber supplement, one with enzymes, and a probiotic supplement.

Oatmeal isn't Enough

I came across a blog the other day that stated that oatmeal consumption prevented heart disease, in addition to its well-known effect of reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.

First of all, it's not oatmeal that does the above, it's fiber. I do believe we all need to eat healthier and I love whole-grain, natural (not instant and certainly not microwaveable) oatmeal. When I make it I usually slice a banana, add strawberries, add a touch of honey, or a little blue agave. And I certainly believe that oatmeal is an integral part of a healthy diet. HOWEVER, it is not enough.

You cannot believe that you will see significant improvement in your health if you have oatmeal for breakfast once a week (this is a much higher frequency than what most people I know eat).

Why Isn't Oatmeal Enough?
Certainly oatmeal has benefits beyond fiber. And I believe in eating a variety of foods. But as pertains to the health claims above, it is important to isolate those to fiber (as most phytochemicals are destroyed when the oatmeal is cooked). According to this fiber calculator a 32 year old adult male needs 32 grams of fiber per day.

Oatmeal has, based on the sources I found online, betweet 2 and 3.5 grams of fiber. Can you eat 10 bowls per day (if we consider 3.5 grams per serving). Oatmeal has one of the highest fiber concentrations in foods, meaning that you would HAVE to eat much, much more of other foods.

There is no question about it, the fiber found in oatmeal is not enough. You need a fiber supplement.