Why You Should Drink a Glass of Water Half an Hour Before Eating

Did you know that drinking a glass of water before eating can help you digest fat better and fight constipation? Learn more in this article!
Why You Should Drink a Glass of Water Half an Hour Before Eating
Valeria Sabater

Written and verified by psychologist Valeria Sabater.

Last update: 27 May, 2022

Drinking a glass of water a half hour before your meals is very good for your health.

However, it’s not a good idea to drink too much before eating. Having two or three glasses, for example, before eating, will make it harder to digest your food.

The key, then, is in having a few sips of water to encourage proper digestion. Another important point has to do with whether it’s good to drink water during meals. Read more below and we’ll answer these questions.


Drinking too much while eating can affect your stomach acid. It will be less effective at breaking down food and getting rid of any bacteria you may have ingested along with it. But it’s no problem if you have a glass of wine with dinner.

However, to optimize digestion and take care of your health in your daily life, it’s “recommended” to have a glass of water 30 minutes before meals.

Everyone knows how their individual body works and what makes you feel good. Therefore, you must learn to listen to your body, understand what changes may make it feel better, and what habits it may be best to put aside.

We suggest that you just find out for yourself how your body reacts if you follow this simple piece of advice if you aren’t already: drink a glass of water or less a half hour before eating.

We’re sure you won’t regret it. You have nothing to lose if you try it for 15 days!

You’ll have more energy

woman with energy doing a star jump

Drinking a glass of water before eating gives your body the hydration it needs.
  • A habit as simple as this will encourage proper cell function and will give your body the energy it needs to do its most important jobs: proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
  • We also can’t forget that your brain and muscles are made up of almost 75% water, while your kidneys and liver are composed of about 70% water.
  • You must be careful to keep this homeostatic balance by regulating what you lose and what you take in. That said, remember what we said above, that this doesn’t mean you should have two glasses of water in a row.

The ideal manner is to sip on water throughout the day and before meals instead of waiting until you feel thirsty. Also, drinking water half an hour before eating is the most best time.

It encourages weight loss

We’ve all heard at one time or another that if you drink a glass of water before eating you’ll lose weight. They say you’ll lose weight because your stomach will be filled with water and you won’t be as hungry.

Most importantly, filling your stomach with water before a meal in order to trick your hunger can be very dangerous.

We advise drinking only one glass or even just half a glass of water. This way you’ll be encouraging weight loss based on these basic and healthy effects:

  • Improving digestion
  • Digesting and eliminating fat much better
  • Fighting constipation
  • Having a much cleaner body

Here’s an extra tip: add a little lemon juice to your water. You’ll feel great!

Your skin will look much better

woman with healthy skin

Drinking water is good for your internal health as well as your external health.
  • If you get in the habit of drinking the purest water you can, you’ll be ensuring that your body sees the benefits of the most powerful detoxifier out there.
  • The oxygen that you get from water helps keep your skin elastic and toned.

Likewise, if you drink this glass of water before eating, you’ll digest your food better and thus absorb more vitamins, minerals, and oxygen.

woman waking up in the morning and stretching her arms

Along with this glass of water 30 minutes before meals, it’s also a very good idea to have a little in these other important parts of your day:

  • When you get up in the morning have a glass of lukewarm water.
  • Before taking a bath, it’s great to drink a little water in order to lower your blood pressure.
  • Before bed, drink something to replace the fluids you’ll lose overnight.

Treat your body right and make this a part of your daily routine.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.



This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.