Why can not you drink after a meal?

There are several opinions about drinking water immediately after eating. Some say that this is completely harmless, while others categorically declare harm. In fact, the big role in this is played by the amount and temperature of the liquid after the meal, it depends only on these indices - will you harm the digestion.

The constant temperature inside the stomach is about 38 degrees, so warm food is better digested and absorbed. If you ate warmed food and drink it with warm water, then in the stomach there are optimal conditions for the production of enzymes and the splitting of food to a certain level. But if the food is cold, it is perceived by the stomach as something foreign and this body tries to "get rid" of food faster. Therefore, the stomach is evacuated not through the prescribed 4-6 hours, but only after 30 minutes.

A similar situation occurs if you drink a cold drink food, so you can not drink after eating a liquid, the temperature of which is below 20 degrees. Optimum to drink warm tea or heated milk, this drink will not harm your health. But the rapid progress of food from the stomach to the duodenum can lead to the development of some chronic diseases and obesity .

Since food in the stomach does not have time to split into smaller constituent parts, a double load is imposed on other digestive organs. More pancreatic enzymes are required, more bile, but the gastrointestinal tract is "programmed" to ensure that the small intestine is supplied with enzymes only 2-4 hours after chewing and swallowing. Thus, the intestine is not ready to take unprepared food in such a short period of time, which leads to the development of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, enterocolitis, etc.

Why is it harmful to drink large amounts of liquid after eating?

Many people are wondering whether it is possible to drink several cups of compote or tea right after eating. Scientists came to the conclusion that it is impossible. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid is released, which is necessary for the destruction of many pathogenic organisms that are ingested with food. But a huge amount of liquid dilutes it, and microbes continue to live in the intestines, which leads to the development of dysbiosis and other diseases.

Hydrochloric acid creates an acidic environment in the stomach, which is necessary for the activation of gastric enzymes. But can you endlessly drink water after a meal, because you are trying to reduce acidity, and in response, the body produces an even greater amount of acid. If you regularly drink plenty of lunch or dinner, the glands of your stomach get used to always work more actively and if you change your habit and do not drink - hydrochloric acid begins to eat up the mucous of this organ, which leads to gastritis and peptic ulcer.