When you drink water, it dilutes your gastric juices, which include stomach acid.
Dilution of Gastric Juices
Here's a breakdown of what happens:
- Dilution: Drinking water dilutes the concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl), the main component of stomach acid.
- Slowdown in Digestion: According to the reference, the digestive acids present in your stomach are diluted with water, bringing about a slowdown in the functioning of your entire digestive system. This is because the diluted acid is less effective at breaking down food.
- Impact on Digestion: Diluting stomach acid can impair the initial stages of protein digestion, which relies on the acidic environment created by HCl.
- Killing Infectious Agents: Stomach acid helps kill infectious agents ingested with food. Diluting it may reduce its effectiveness.
In essence, drinking water can temporarily reduce the acidity of your stomach, which can impact the efficiency of digestion.
