Does it matter if you drink with a meal? I've heard that this will 'dilute the digestive juices' and interfere with digestion of the food eaten at that meal.

This answer is brought to you by many of the Australian nutrition professionals who regularly contribute to a nutrition email discussion group.

There is no scientific evidence to support a need to separate eating and drinking to allow digestion to proceed properly. Food is prepared for digestion in the stomach where it is mixed with hydrochloric acid to break it down. The resulting mixture empties into the small intestine where enzymes digest the various components - protein, carbohydrate and fat. The rate of emptying from the stomach depends to some extent on how full the stomach is. A full stomach empties at a quicker rate than a half full one, and there is evidence that the increased rate of stomach emptying leads to quicker absorption of digested carbohydrate (glucose) into the blood.

Therefore, drinking with a meal will increase the volume of stomach contents, stimulating a faster emptying rate. Far from slowing digestion, this may even speed it up a little.

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[Date issued: March 1999]

Disclaimer: This material is provided on the basis that it constitutes advice of a general nature only. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or a dietitian.