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Can I Drink Fluids After Meals?
Question: hi. I have a question about drinking fluids. is it ok if I drink fluids with meals or should I drink them half hour before or half hour after having meals? and how much fluids should I drink per day?
thanks
thanks
Brief Answer:
HEllo
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Good day.
very interesting question.
Generally, it is advisable not to take fluids along with meals. The reason being, there is a theoretical risk of dilution of digestive juices and hence adeuate digestion may not take place well if we drink fluids just before or during meals. This leads to indigetion.
For the same reasons, even drinking fluids half an hour before meals also is generally not good.
So it may be wise to drink fluids half to one hour after eating. THIS IS A GENERAL RULE AND MANY DOCTOR ADVICE PATIENTS THE SAAME THING.
However, there is no hard evidence base ( reasearch) behind this suggestion.
The recommendation of fluid intake is based on the climate, underlying medical conditions ( heart failure, kidney problems) etc. Generally, a healthy adult with out heart failure and kidney failure need 2 litres of fluid per day. However, in tropics and in desert climates, in summer, one may require up to 3-3.5 litres/day.
Your fluid intake should be atleast 500 ML more than your urine output. Never try to acheive a water coloured urine. Straw yellow colour is the normal urine colour.
In heart failure and kidney failure, fluid intake should be monitored to prevent fluid retention. In these conditions, it is better to maintain a steady weight by monitoring water intake.
Regards
Binu
HEllo
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Good day.
very interesting question.
Generally, it is advisable not to take fluids along with meals. The reason being, there is a theoretical risk of dilution of digestive juices and hence adeuate digestion may not take place well if we drink fluids just before or during meals. This leads to indigetion.
For the same reasons, even drinking fluids half an hour before meals also is generally not good.
So it may be wise to drink fluids half to one hour after eating. THIS IS A GENERAL RULE AND MANY DOCTOR ADVICE PATIENTS THE SAAME THING.
However, there is no hard evidence base ( reasearch) behind this suggestion.
The recommendation of fluid intake is based on the climate, underlying medical conditions ( heart failure, kidney problems) etc. Generally, a healthy adult with out heart failure and kidney failure need 2 litres of fluid per day. However, in tropics and in desert climates, in summer, one may require up to 3-3.5 litres/day.
Your fluid intake should be atleast 500 ML more than your urine output. Never try to acheive a water coloured urine. Straw yellow colour is the normal urine colour.
In heart failure and kidney failure, fluid intake should be monitored to prevent fluid retention. In these conditions, it is better to maintain a steady weight by monitoring water intake.
Regards
Binu
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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