Does drinking water with a meal dilute your stomach acid? On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about this nutrition myth!
Can you dilute your stomach acid by drinking water with a meal?⠀
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No, not really. This myth, like all other nutrition myth is built on the theme that somehow we are smarter than our physiology.⠀
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PRO TIP: Your body has it figured out. It manages its stomach acid JUST fine.⠀
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Flash back to grade 7 science. pH is a logarithmic scale. Meaning, each number between 0-14 represents a 10 fold jump in concentration or dilution.⠀
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When empty, the stomach has a pH of 2 (ish), meaning it is 100,000x more acidic than our blood (ish). ⠀
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When we eat food, the pH rises to around a pH of 4.⠀
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When we drink water, the stomach doesn’t substantially change its pH, as water is absorbed rapidly, and more importantly, chemical (enzymes+acid) or mechanical digestion isn’t effected by these changes. ⠀
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These are NORMAL fluctuations, after all, the stomach job is to maintain homeostasis – simply put, it regulates its own acidity to keep it within range and responds rapidly to changes, maintaining the balance, regardless of whether you have a sip of water, eaten a meal, or chugged a pint of beer (not recommended – lol). ⠀
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BOTTOM LINE: Your body is wiser than this old wives tale, and frankly, you would die of water toxicity before you’d ever dilute your stomach acid in a meaningful way. ⠀
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If you like drinking water with a meal, go for it. Your body has your back.⠀
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