It is not just about drinking 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy and hydrated. It matters in what position you have the water. Do you sit and drink water, or normally have it in passing, while standing?
Some experts have uncovered that it is no old wives tale when the elders in the family ask you to sit down and then gulp your water. In fact, it is a gem of an advise that you had better heed to for a healthy living. To make the most of the water we drink it is advised to sit down and have it in small sips than glug it down in a rush while standing.
Here are some shocking scientific reasons that tell you the difference it makes to your body when you have your water standing as opposed to sitting down.
1. Standing and drinking water can cause arthritis
This may come as a greater shock to you if you have been in a practice of drinking water in a standing position, for you may well be affected by arthritis later in life. By drinking water standing you disrupt the balance of fluids in the body, and this often leads to a greater accumulation of fluids in the joints thus triggering arthritis.
2. Water splashes on the stomach wall when had standing
Health experts have it that by having water fast and in a standing position, you let it flow to your gut while splashing on the stomach wall. This shock from the splashing of water can cause long term damage to the digestive system as it harms the stomach wall and the gastrointestinal tract.
3. You remain thirsty when you drink water standing
Your thirst is never fully quenched when you drink water in a standing position. You feel like drinking more water very frequently. It is better to sit in a place and have smaller sips to truly quench your thirst.
4. You always suffer indigestion when you drink water standing
When you drink water sitting down your muscles and nervous system are much more relaxed and it triggers the nerves to quickly digest the fluid and with it other food items.
5. Your kidney doesn’t filter water properly when had in standing position
Drinking water in a standing position doesn’t help the filtration process of water by the kidneys. Often impurities remain in the kidneys and bladder which can lead to urinary tract disorder and even permanent damage to the kidneys.
Would you?
6. Drinking water in standing position doesn’t dilute the acid levels in the body
Even Ayurveda mentions it that water must be consumed in slow, small swigs while sitting down. This helps to properly dilute the acid levels in the body by getting combined with the necessary proportion of water.
7. Drinking water by standing causes ulcers and heartburn
When you drink water in a standing position it ends up splashing the lower half of the esophagus very hard. This in return can disturb the sphincter, which is the joint between the stomach and esophagus, and as a result the esophagus experiences burning sensation because of the acids in the stomach flowing backward.
8. Your nerves are tense when you drink water standing
When you drink water standing, a ‘fight and flight system’ is activated which causes nerve tension in the body. But when you sit down and sip water, a parasympathetic system also referred to as the ‘rest and digest system’ comes into fray, this one helps to calm your senses and ease the process of digestion.
Bhargav Trivedi says
Article is very informative.
Bhargav Trivedi says
One more reason as per my elders advice:
“Drinking water while standing causes hernia.”
Rajesh Salia says
… you should have explained the differnce betwwen standing position and sitting position. Not by any of the above logic …you get any advangate when sitting…. All these things happens while sitting also…
Timpass article…
Zafer says
Muhammad SAW recommended to drinking and eating while sitting 1450 years ago.
madhur says
Thanks for Showing the origin of the myth
Dr vishwanath says
It takes lot of time for water to reach kidney why would standing and drinking would effect it anyhow.
And how the position of your upper abdomen region differs when you stand and sit upright so how would it slow down the water splashing in the attach walls.
Diluting the acid in the body seriously why would you need to dilute the acid diluted acid would slow digestion process besides the water drunk while standing and sitting doesn’t contribute differently in diluting the gastric acids but yeah the amount of water effects the dilution.
it takes even more time for water to reach to blood and then near the bones.
And someone even commented the hernia, hahaha
Dr vishwanath says
The only thing that post said correctly is drink water in small gulps.
Oh and one more thing that I want to add is try drinking less water right before and after the meal as high amount of water dilutes the acid and hence slows down the digestion
Baz William says
The difference in drinking water to the stomach standing up compared to sitting down is so minutely negligible it’s not worth considering. This rubbish and explanations which have NO scientific basis has come about because of Islam stating that Muhammad advised his followers not to drink standing up
Just go to your local doctor and ask him if it is harmful to drink standing up
Imasus says
Kidneys filter blood not water . that’s middle school biology.
A. Shabra says
I’m with drinking whiles sitting down, however you did not provide any medical proof for all the medical statements provided.
Sudheesh prasad says
Thank you for the people who have done research on this, and thank you for initiating this article in a meaningful and understandable way.
Arun says
Is there a scientific reason for this difference I would like to know
Anton says
Prophet Muhammad SAW forbade us from drinking and eating while standing. This hadith makes it clear:
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us from drinking while standing. Qatadah reported: “We asked him: ‘What about eating?”‘ He said: “That is even worse, (or may be he said) more detestable.”
Faisal says
When you drink water, it takes it a while to reach kidneys. First it needs to get absorbed into the blood which is then pumped to kidneys where it is filtered. So it will take it a while for filtration to start and you might as well be sitting or even lying down when that happens. I don’t think this reason makes much sense whereas other reasons still carry some weight.
Afthab says
Can drinking water dilutes acids in stomuc ? What all are the diseases caused by it ?
Mohammed says
And that’s why in Islam it is prohibited to drink standing And as prophet Mohammed used to drink only when setting down,
said says
the prophet mohammed may peace be upon him said that in 1800 years ago .
Agus says
When we are drinking, will the water be filtered directly by kidney?
At least we need hours to digest the water
laks says
please add the source or journal reference, I don’t trust you