Abstract
Understanding the impact of mealtime hydration on digestion is important for optimizing nutrition. Water plays various roles in human health, including as a solvent and transport medium. Its influence on digestion and gastric emptying is still not fully understood. Contemporary studies challenge traditional recommendations against consuming beverages with meals, particularly questioning the timing and temperature of water intake. Despite extensive research, clarity on this topic is lacking. Some studies suggest that meal temperature and composition affect gastric emptying, but when matched for calorie content and volume, gastric emptying times may be similar regardless of composition or initial state. Understanding how water temperature, when consumed at mealtimes, alters food temperature and further influences digestion is crucial. Additionally, in cases where calorie content and total volume are not matched, consuming water at mealtime can change the food composition, making it more liquid and facilitating digestion. This editorial article aims to identifies research gaps and suggests avenues for future investigations into optimal hydration at mealtimes, and to guide nutritionists and health professionals in developing strategies for promoting gastric health in their patients.