Drinking lemon water right after meals

by Kerryswan

QUESTION: Is it okay to drink lemon water right after meals because I have heard that it is good to drink it on an empty stomach???

ANSWER: It is best to drink lemon water on an empty stomach. The best time to drink it is as soon as you wake up in the morning and/or 30 minutes BEFORE meals.


I do not recommend drinking lemon water or any fluid right after meals (or during meals) because I believe it will slow down the digestive process by diluting your body's digestive juices.

Depending on what you eat, the digestive process can take several hours, but the major part of the meal is digested within the first hour or so. Thus, it is best to wait at least one hour after meals to start drinking water or lemon water or any other beverage.

The other factor is that digestion is a chemical process in the body that generates heat. So, drinking any cold beverage during, right before, or right after eating will also hinder digestion.

For people who feel they have to drink during or right after meals, I recommend sipping small amounts of filtered water or warm tea.

Generally, when people are very thirsty during or after meals it is because their body is dehydrated or because they are eating foods with too much refined salt.

I am sure you know that optimal digestion is critical for good health.

I believe it is worth doing everything we can to preserve the limited number of enzymes in the body that we are born with and not make our bodies have to use an excess amount of enzymes by drinking fluids during or right after meals.

I hope you enjoy the many health benefits of lemon water! Thank you for visiting my site.

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