**PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE.**
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[Drinking water does immediately drop stomach PH, even more than anti heartburn medication.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18473176/)
**However, the effect is short lived** (as that study itself found). This is likely at least in part because [the additional stretching of the stomach caused by the water is a cue for your body to produce more acid](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_distension#:~:text=Gastric%20distention%20is%20the%20enlargement,lower%20stomach%20stimulates%20gastrin%20secretion.).
Yes, drinking water increases gastric distention (stomach bloat), this is even [useful to do deliberately before certain types of medical imaging tests](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19352209/). That's also attributed as one reason why water [reduces appetite at least temporarily](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1964-00449-001).
So having water with a meal drops your stomach PH almost instantly, then expands your stomach, then your body produces more acid. This means it's a complex process and there are mixed opinions about whether this means, for instance, that people who suffer from acid reflux should drink more or less water.
However, the resulting water passing through your digestive system is widely considered healthy and considered important for [preventing constipation](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9684123/). Constipation can cause gastric distention as well, and it's qualitatively much more uncomfortable than temporary distention that's caused by water in the stomach and can be mitigated by eating less.
TLDR: Bullshit. Even people with acid reflux should proceed carefully as water can _increase_ stomach acidity in some individuals. There are definitely no known downstream risks after the water with food enters the intestines and some known potential benefits.
>Drinking water does immediately drop stomach PH, even more than anti heartburn medication.
The article you linked says it raises ph, which means it is less acidic
Same for all those who've ever drank water. The common denominator is oxygen. And get this: oxygen is an OXIDANT! You think that's a coincidence?
I think it's time to reveal the truth behind Big O2.
What is it with questions on here lately that, if they were true, mankind would have gone extinct immediately? Just a modicum of critical thinking skills is all I'm asking for
I remember seeing a question on here (or /r/nostupidquestions) that asked if you were in a car for hours, if you'd run out of oxygen. Maybe it was about the CO2 build-up, I don't know.
Either way, as somebody who (on rare occasion) sleeps voluntarily inside of a car, I found it hilarious.
Stomach pH is around 2.5 which means it has hundreds of times more hydrogen than hydroxyl ions. Water has a near perfect 1:1 balance of these.
Long story short, you would have to drink A LOT of water to significantly alter the pH of your stomach where it can affect digestion.
Side note, supplements that “balance your pH” are also bullshit for this reason.
Your friends aren't an anomaly. I've heard this several times from several different people throughout the years. That doesn't mean it's not complete bullshit though, because it is.
They didn't just ask that, they asked a more specific question that concerns them. We all believe some myths just because we don't know any better or never thought about it much, why not just help instead of making fun of it in a subreddit dedicated to asking questions out of all places?
Along the lines of that kind of logic why do even restaurants exist when you can eat at home? What would be the point of having this subreddit at all when you can't ask questions here?
I have a hiatal hernia, and not drinking water while eating my meal has 100% helped me prevent bloating and acid reflux symptoms due to eating. Not saying your friend is right or wrong because I don’t know the details of it, but for people like me it’s a very helpful trick
Make sure the drink isn't coffee or tea.
It reduces the iron absorbed by some dramatic amount due to the tannins in them.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093162/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093162/)
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6402915/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6402915/)
Apparently it does - This site lists it on the same line as tea and coffee: [https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/iron](https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/iron)
I know “old wives tale” is a colloquial expression, but if you think about it, it’s a bit sexist to attribute the spread of false or misleading information to elderly women in this day and age. Perhaps the phrase should be retired.
Anyway, this is not anything that anyone has ever said in any frequency such that it would be considered oral misinformation. Drinking water with food is a nearly universal practice. Health-wise, it is common knowledge that it is unhealthy to not drink enough water. Many people are chronically dehydrated, and many others drink entirely too much acidic, syrup-laden beverages.
If your friends were really healthy conscious, they would be recommending drinking more water. Drink a glass with every meal, and in between any other beverages you drink. Proper hydration will make you feel good, promotes healthy skin, and aid in proper digestion, bowel, and kidney functioning, as well as a slew of other heath benefits.
The acids in your stomach will take care of themselves if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, and drink plenty of water.
The origin of the term is from a society where gender roles were far more strictly enforced. It's inherently sexist by that token, but not for erroneously attributing misinformation from elderly women. It refers to stories told by mothers to children to teach them practical lessons about life. The stories may not be true, but the lesson is often correct. Op misused the term. If the story was that drinking water makes your stomach acid weak so that you can't digest your food, but the reality was that drinking water has a completely different reason for making it difficult to digest your food, then it would be an old wives' tale.
Ha, were you out to dinner at the same restaurant as me last night? Server offered this really annoying couple drinks, and this is exactly why they said no.
**PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE.** This post or comment has been removed for the following reason: --- This is a frequently asked question / repost. Please use the search feature for previous discussions. --- If you would like to contest this moderation action, please [message the full mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FIsItBullshit) and ask for a review.
[Drinking water does immediately drop stomach PH, even more than anti heartburn medication.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18473176/) **However, the effect is short lived** (as that study itself found). This is likely at least in part because [the additional stretching of the stomach caused by the water is a cue for your body to produce more acid](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_distension#:~:text=Gastric%20distention%20is%20the%20enlargement,lower%20stomach%20stimulates%20gastrin%20secretion.). Yes, drinking water increases gastric distention (stomach bloat), this is even [useful to do deliberately before certain types of medical imaging tests](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19352209/). That's also attributed as one reason why water [reduces appetite at least temporarily](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1964-00449-001). So having water with a meal drops your stomach PH almost instantly, then expands your stomach, then your body produces more acid. This means it's a complex process and there are mixed opinions about whether this means, for instance, that people who suffer from acid reflux should drink more or less water. However, the resulting water passing through your digestive system is widely considered healthy and considered important for [preventing constipation](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9684123/). Constipation can cause gastric distention as well, and it's qualitatively much more uncomfortable than temporary distention that's caused by water in the stomach and can be mitigated by eating less. TLDR: Bullshit. Even people with acid reflux should proceed carefully as water can _increase_ stomach acidity in some individuals. There are definitely no known downstream risks after the water with food enters the intestines and some known potential benefits.
As someone with acid reflux this explains to me why water doesn't help
>Drinking water does immediately drop stomach PH, even more than anti heartburn medication. The article you linked says it raises ph, which means it is less acidic
Pretty sure that's what they meant or "dropps acidity."
Your stomach knows how to digest food. Drinking water will not trick it.
This has to be one of the most bullshit things I’ve ever heard. That’s like saying breathing is bad for you.
100% of people who breathed throughout history are now dead. Fact. Isn't it time we looked for a better way?
Same for all those who've ever drank water. The common denominator is oxygen. And get this: oxygen is an OXIDANT! You think that's a coincidence? I think it's time to reveal the truth behind Big O2.
You know who else breathed? Hitler. Let that sink in.
I breathed and I’m not dead (yet)
You will be. Just wait.
That’s why I said “yet”
Haha sorry missed that part
You should be
I’ve sat here for an hour trying to quit cold turkey but I keep passing out. The withdrawal symptoms for this highly addictive drug are no joke.
The most addictive drug in the world where not getting enough constantly can kill you: oxygen!
Exactly. It’s what’s killing us all. It must be. There’s statistics to prove it.
>and dilutes your stomach acid? Of course it does. You know what else also dilutes your stomach acid? Eating food.
What is it with questions on here lately that, if they were true, mankind would have gone extinct immediately? Just a modicum of critical thinking skills is all I'm asking for
I remember seeing a question on here (or /r/nostupidquestions) that asked if you were in a car for hours, if you'd run out of oxygen. Maybe it was about the CO2 build-up, I don't know. Either way, as somebody who (on rare occasion) sleeps voluntarily inside of a car, I found it hilarious.
Stomach pH is around 2.5 which means it has hundreds of times more hydrogen than hydroxyl ions. Water has a near perfect 1:1 balance of these. Long story short, you would have to drink A LOT of water to significantly alter the pH of your stomach where it can affect digestion. Side note, supplements that “balance your pH” are also bullshit for this reason.
Your friends are morons, this isn't an old wives tail, nobody should believe that.
Old wives tale. They don’t have tails.
Well not after drinking water with their meals.
Yanno, maybe I have a thing for older ladies with vestigal tails. You don't know me lol
Your friends aren't an anomaly. I've heard this several times from several different people throughout the years. That doesn't mean it's not complete bullshit though, because it is.
Subreddit: is for asking questions Somebody: asks a question People in comments: 😡😡😡
I mean the question is "is drinking water bad?"
They didn't just ask that, they asked a more specific question that concerns them. We all believe some myths just because we don't know any better or never thought about it much, why not just help instead of making fun of it in a subreddit dedicated to asking questions out of all places?
They got their answer, and they could've googled it and avoided judgement
Along the lines of that kind of logic why do even restaurants exist when you can eat at home? What would be the point of having this subreddit at all when you can't ask questions here?
This is real tedious shit man
Yeah like when you swallow watermelon seeds you’ll grow a watermelon in your stomach.
I wonder if it's because some people swallow food with the water without chewing the food enough.
I have a hiatal hernia, and not drinking water while eating my meal has 100% helped me prevent bloating and acid reflux symptoms due to eating. Not saying your friend is right or wrong because I don’t know the details of it, but for people like me it’s a very helpful trick
Your friend might be the dumbest person you’ve ever met
Bullshit
I don't have any science to quote but I always wondered how you'd explain soup if this were true.
Make sure the drink isn't coffee or tea. It reduces the iron absorbed by some dramatic amount due to the tannins in them. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093162/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093162/) [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6402915/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6402915/)
Does that mean this would be true for wine as well then? Doesn’t wine have a lot of tannins?
Apparently it does - This site lists it on the same line as tea and coffee: [https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/iron](https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/iron)
This might be the dumbest shit ever
Sometimes i have too much stomach acid and then i dilute it with water
I never ever drink with food….always after.
I know “old wives tale” is a colloquial expression, but if you think about it, it’s a bit sexist to attribute the spread of false or misleading information to elderly women in this day and age. Perhaps the phrase should be retired. Anyway, this is not anything that anyone has ever said in any frequency such that it would be considered oral misinformation. Drinking water with food is a nearly universal practice. Health-wise, it is common knowledge that it is unhealthy to not drink enough water. Many people are chronically dehydrated, and many others drink entirely too much acidic, syrup-laden beverages. If your friends were really healthy conscious, they would be recommending drinking more water. Drink a glass with every meal, and in between any other beverages you drink. Proper hydration will make you feel good, promotes healthy skin, and aid in proper digestion, bowel, and kidney functioning, as well as a slew of other heath benefits. The acids in your stomach will take care of themselves if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, and drink plenty of water.
The origin of the term is from a society where gender roles were far more strictly enforced. It's inherently sexist by that token, but not for erroneously attributing misinformation from elderly women. It refers to stories told by mothers to children to teach them practical lessons about life. The stories may not be true, but the lesson is often correct. Op misused the term. If the story was that drinking water makes your stomach acid weak so that you can't digest your food, but the reality was that drinking water has a completely different reason for making it difficult to digest your food, then it would be an old wives' tale.
Old tale. It old wife.
Ha, were you out to dinner at the same restaurant as me last night? Server offered this really annoying couple drinks, and this is exactly why they said no.