# Do you need to imbibe fluids while eating solid foods, like I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566 "2020-04-11T16:57:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/1 "2020-04-11T16:57:45Z")
I have never been able to eat solid food without a steady dose of drinking fluids, perhaps not after every bite, but certainly continuously over the course of a meal. This has been an issue of contention with my relatives all my life, because there is a belief in certain parts of Indian society that it is bad for your digestion to drink and eat at the same time. Pretty much all my relatives, especially of my parents’ generation and older, eat an entire meal, and then, only afterwards drink a lot of water. I cannot do this. I get very thirsty when eating something, and I can’t enjoy the food without drinking something (most often I drink water during a meal). In addition, I feel physical discomfort in my throat and esophagus from swallowing solid food “dry,” that is, without occasional swallows of a drink every once in a while. I’m wondering whether I’m alone in this, a crazy outlier, or if other people experience this. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/2 "2020-04-11T17:22:43Z")
In most of American culture it’s considered odd to have a meal and not have a beverage with it. But I do it sometimes. I definitely don’t need fluid with my solid food, it’s a matter of whether or not a given beverage would taste good with the other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/3 "2020-04-11T17:27:47Z")
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Probably depends on how hydrated I am, maybe even how humid it is, and how moist the food is. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/4 "2020-04-11T17:29:35Z")
Ascenray, I don’t currently need to drink when I eat, but I did for a while. In my case, it was due to inflammation of the lower esophagus, caused by acid reflux I had been ignoring. I had, in fact, developed a pre-cancerous condition. (Barrett’s esophagus.) Maybe that’s just me. Maybe you’ve always been like this. Maybe your esophageal sphincter is just unusually small or inflexible. But it’s something to consider. These days, I usually like to drink while I eat, but sometimes I forget to take any of my water until I’ve finished my food. Especially if I’m eating moist foods like vegetables, meat, or cook beans. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/5 "2020-04-11T17:33:08Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > In most of American culture it’s considered odd to have a meal and not have a beverage with it. But I do it sometimes. I definitely don’t need fluid with my solid food, it’s a matter of whether or not a given beverage would taste good with the other stuff. +1 on the American thing, even if it’s water. However I knew a biologist (Middle Eastern born and trained) who said that it’s wrong to have liquid with meals. She said we’re diluting our stomach acid when we do that, hindering good digestion. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/6 "2020-04-11T17:35:35Z")
I usually have a beverage with a meal, preferable wine or beer. not sure how to vote, as I don’t think I drink “a lot” while eating. I think I’ll go with “it varies.” ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/7 "2020-04-11T17:38:56Z")
When I eat Indian food I do. It’s spicy and salty and pungent and needs a lot of water to dilute those tastes. When I eat my own, typically rather bland, cooking, no. I eat a piece of fruit afterward as a palate cleanser. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/8 "2020-04-11T17:39:10Z")
I always have milk with my meal. I can’t drink alcohol when I eat. If I’m out with friends at a bar or something and we get pizza or sandwiches, I’ll have water or a soda. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/9 "2020-04-11T17:39:59Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I usually have a beverage with a meal, preferable wine or beer. > > not sure how to vote, as I don’t think I drink “a lot” while eating. I’m glad the choice of “I absolutely have to drink” was further qualified as “it’s unpleasant for me otherwise”. While I _can_ eat without drinking, I always want liquid available to me even if I wind up not needing a lot of it, even if it is not the type of food that would normally stick badly in one’s throat. Even, for instance, carrots, can sometimes _feel_ like they are getting stuck in my throat and I need something to wash them down with to get rid of that feeling. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/10 "2020-04-11T17:49:47Z")
Depends. Not required. Often welcome, especially beer or wine. But my typical minimal breakfast usually proceeds from a cup of yogurt, to a granola bar, then a big cup of coffee after it’s cooled a little. Each chaw need not be rinsed down. My salivary glands still function. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/11 "2020-04-11T18:06:09Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > When I eat Indian food I do. It’s spicy and salty and pungent and needs a lot of water to dilute those tastes. > > When I eat my own, typically rather bland, cooking, no. I eat a piece of fruit afterward as a palate cleanser. I want something to drink with spicy food. Otherwise, sometimes sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/12 "2020-04-11T18:14:54Z")
One of my sons can’t eat if he’s thirsty. Been like that since he was a toddler, when he’d sometimes refuse to continue eating until he’d had some water. As an adult, he’s explained that thirst is such a distinct and overwhelming feeling for him, it overrides hunger or enjoyment for food. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/13 "2020-04-11T23:52:39Z")
Didn’t vote, because I don’t think I fit in the choices. I usually drink some liquid with meals, often but not always water. I don’t always drink “a lot” – that depends on how thirsty I am. And it’s not that I don’t feel that I can’t get the food down otherwise; but that eating often also makes me thirsty. It does also depend on what I’m eating; among other factors such as salt and strong tastes, if the food itself is fairly liquid then I’m going to drink less, or maybe not at all. But it doesn’t make any sense with me to say that it’s bad for you to take liquids with meals. That would mean that soup would be bad for you, wouldn’t it? but lots of cultures eat soups, and as far as I know without adverse consequences. And then there’s juicy fruits; but eating the whole fruit, solids and liquid together, is supposed to be better for you than just drinking the juice. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/14 "2020-04-12T01:44:40Z")
I almost always need to drink (usually water) when I’m eating sandwiches. Without it the bread makes me feel like I’m gagging. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/15 "2020-04-12T01:57:03Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I get very thirsty when eating something, and I can’t enjoy the food without drinking something (most often I drink water during a meal). In addition, I feel physical discomfort in my throat and esophagus from swallowing solid food “dry,” that is, without occasional swallows of a drink every once in a while. The salivary glands should produce saliva while you’re chewing. I wonder if you salivate less than the average person. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/16 "2020-04-12T02:07:09Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The salivary glands should produce saliva while you’re chewing. I wonder if you salivate less than the average person. I have plenty of saliva for chewing chewing isn’t a problem. I don’t need to have water in my mouth along with food, but I need to drink frequently while eating. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/17 "2020-04-12T02:28:40Z")
I used to be like that, but I seemed to grow out of it some time in my twenties. Also always needed to have a glass of water by my bed at night, that I’d drain before morning. One of my enduring memories of childhood is basically being permanently thirsty. There just never seemed to be enough liquid around for my needs. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/18 "2020-04-12T15:14:06Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have never been able to eat solid food without a steady dose of drinking fluids, perhaps not after every bite, but certainly continuously over the course of a meal…I’m wondering whether I’m alone in this, a crazy outlier, or if other people experience this. Hi Ascenray - something for you to mull over: achalasia. NHS link: [Achalasia - NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/achalasia/) Wiki link: [Esophageal achalasia - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophageal_achalasia) > [@](#): > > Achalasia is a rare disorder of the food pipe (oesophagus), which can make it difficult to swallow food and drink. > > Normally, the muscles of the oesophagus contract to squeeze food along towards the stomach. A ring of muscle at the end of the food pipe then relaxes to let food into the stomach. > > In achalasia, the muscles in the oesophagus don’t contract correctly and the ring of muscle can fail to open properly, or doesn’t open at all. Food and drink cannot pass into the stomach and becomes stuck. It is often brought back up. It can be treated reasonably successfully. j ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/19 "2020-04-12T15:31:37Z")
I would say I’m 50% “I drink when I’m thirsty” and 50% “it varies”. I don’t feel compelled to drink while eating (unless it’s something very salty or spicy maybe), but if there’s a glass of water nearby I might take a sip. When I was first dating my wife, sometimes we would go to a fast food restaurant and she would say “get me anything, I’m not fussy”. But I’m used to not ordering drinks at fast food restaurants and then she would get indignant that I didn’t order her anything to drink. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566/20 "2020-04-12T15:45:44Z")
It depends on what it is. I often have meals w/o a drink, however some foods, particular dry meats such as white meat chicken, I do need some liquid as it sometimes binds up in my mouth from lack of moisture. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-imbibe-fluids-while-eating-solid-foods-like-i-do/851566.md?page=2)