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Too much water with your meal?

The downside of water is primarily fiction. However, it turns out there's a lot to be said for soup or salad.

First, about the water: The key digestive enzymes don't come into play until the food has left the stomach and begins its travels through the small intestine. Water tends to be rapidly absorbed. The idea that digestive enzymes would be diluted makes little sense, as enzymes attach themselves to specific parts of a specific food component.

The issue here is the number of molecules of enzymes versus the number of molecules of their food-component target. Water is not a target for the enzymes, so it has no major impact on the enzymes' action.

There might be some issue of bloating if excessive amounts of water are consumed while food remains in the stomach. There also might be a problem for those with gastroesophageal reflux, as the extra volume in the stomach might encourage some sloshing up onto the esophagus while the stomach is doing its thing.

Then there is the potential for aerophagia, the swallowing of air during eating or drinking that leads to belching, often confused with indigestion.

The upshot is that water or a water-based food is fine; in fact, it can contribute to satiety and decrease the total number of calories consumed.

A study in the June 2005 issue of Obesity Research looked at overweight women on a calorie-controlled weight-loss program. It was reported that having a low-calorie soup at the start of a meal led to more weight loss than consuming the same number of calories as a dense snack food.

An interesting study in the October 2004 Journal of the American Dietetic Association examined the impact of types of salads. Researchers provided either no salad, a low-calorie salad (0.33 kilocalories per gram), or a calorie-dense salad (1.33 kilocalories per gram). The difference in the salads came from the addition of cheese or a rich dressing. These salads were served in either a small portion (150 grams) or a large portion (300 grams).

After the mandatory salad course, the subjects consumed as much of a pasta main course as they desired. Those who had the low-calorie salad as their first course consumed fewer calories during the entire meal. The small serving of salad reduced calorie intake by 7 percent, and a large serving reduced calorie intake by 12 percent.

It's of interest that those who consumed a small portion of the calorie-dense salad ended up having 8 percent more calories during the meal, and those who had the large portion of this salad had 17 percent more calories.

On a personal note, I love the flavor of fresh greens and salads, and I look forward to them every night. For dinner I have a portion of the main course and any side dishes, and then I fill up on the salad as my final course. Moving salad to the end of the meal, as is done in Europe, has served me well over the years.

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