Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-07-06
DRINK WHEN YOU EAT
TAKE AS MUCH WATER AS YOU
WANT WITH YOUR MEALS.

Is Claimed, as Neither Gnstric Juice
Nor Pepsin Work Properly Unless
Largely Diluted with Water.
How much water should we drink
and when should we drink it are ques-
tons so simple that at first sight their
discussion seems superfuous. one
would naturally answer, Drink all the
water you wish when you are thirsty"
but authorities say, Drink more than
you wish when you are not thirsty
for they recommend that Il gallon or so
be drunk between meals. which is
more water than we need and the very
time the system least demands it. U.s.
ually we experience thirst during or
directly after eating.
Inasmuch as 81 per cent of the whole
body is water, which is, of course, be-
ing used up every moment, there is no
question that we should drink of this
element %copiously, but it is a serious
question whether we should refrain
from water at meals-the time we par
ticularly desire it.
There is q class of persons, ever
growing more numerous. that believes
that whatever is is wrong. For the
natural and simple they would substi-
tute the artificial and complicated. To
drink water while or directly after eat
ing is a natural instinct. Give a dog
his dinner, putting a bowl of water
near it, and observe that he will first
eat all he can and hen Immediately
drink. Wild animals look for a stream
after feeding. Cage birds will stop
pecking at seed to peck at water. Chill
dren have a perpetual thirst, and l
have seen babies that, unlike young
Oliver, have refused to eat more when
denied water after every few mouth
fuls. $50.
1t is especially important that babies
be given what water they wish and at
the time they wish it, which is usually
at table.
The thinner food is the more easily
and thoroughly is it digested; IN fact,
it cannot be digested until it has been
made liquid by the gastric and intesti-
nal juices. Indigestion is caused often
by food that has not been sufficiently
moistened by the digestive secretions.
There are sound physiological rea-
sons for our craving water with meals.
Water is the solvent that constitutes
80 per cen of the gastric Juice. Now,
when n eats a hearty meal and does
not drink, the mou of water in the
stomach is not sufficient thoroughly to
moisten the great quantity Of food,
and this makes digestion difficult. On
the other hand, when enough water is
ingested with the food the latter is
well moistened and broker up. the d.
gestible particles being then readily
acted on by the gastric juice and after
ward absorbed. Again, when the par
tally digested food (chyme) passes into
the intestines it is most important that
it be very moist, particularly as water
is constantly absorbed from the chyle
In the large intestine. Bad cases Of
constipation are caused by dry chyle
remaining in the intestines, where it
sets up an Inflammation hat some
times proves fatal, dry faces, of
course, resisting peristaltic action. The
excrement of persons suffering from
constipation is always dry and hard
and is a potent cause Of appendicitis.
The idea that water drinking at
meals unduly dilutes the gastric juice
is n~onsensical, water being not so pal
atable that one is apt to drink more
than his digestive functions require.
AS a matter of fact water generally
facilitates the digestion of albuminous
ct,hstannaS Tn fhic nonnnotian Ir
jacob in his work on Infant Diet"
page 81, says:
"In experiments upon digestion Of
albumen with gastric juice obtained.
from the stomach of animals il was no.
ticed that after a certain time the proc
ess began to slacken, but was renewed
merely by the addition of water. The
gastric juice became saturated with
the substance it had dissolved and
ceased TO act upon what remained I'M
til it had been diluted. In the living
stomach this dilution is of ever greater
Importance, for it permits of the i'm
mediate absorption of the substances
soluble In water and which do not re-
Quire the specific action of the gastric
juice" Neither the gastric juice nor
pepsin has any true digestive action
unless they be largely diluted with wa
ter.
1t goes without saying that it is not
the food that is ingested. but that
which is digested, that does good. and
this principle holds good with water.
which is practically a food. Now,
when N resists the perfectly natural
desire to drink while eating he may be
not thirsty several hours afterward,
but he is advised nevertheless TO force
himself to drink at that time. But if
he drinks then. the water, having no
food TO mix with il, will go through
him, as 1t were-that is, it will do no
good.
The Importance of water to the hui
man economy may be Inferred from
the various purposes it subserves.
First, it softens and dissolves solid
foods, thus facilitating their mastica-
fiOn and 6ioaSfion. saoon1 n MAIN