There is a general but dubious perception that drinking water at meal times helps in better digestion of food. Water helps in maintaining osmotic balance in the body and it helps removing toxic and other wastes from the body. Some people also believe that it is always better to take water in little sips rather than drinking all the water at a time, that is a choice of the individual though. There are gastric juices in the stomach which are secreted by the digestive system and these are acidic in nature. These juices help in digestion.

When large amounts of water are consumed, these gastric juices are diluted and they lose their inherent ability to breakdown the proteins and various nutrients which are essential for the body. The water consumed during the meals should preferably be lukewarm or at optimum room temperature as the body cannot handle cold water when taken in large quantities.

To maintain good health, more emphasis should be on the amount of water consumed in between the meals. Better water intake helps in maintaining the body temperature and also helps in the improved blood circulation in the human body. Taking water at meal times may also increase your body weight.