After indulging in a delicious and hearty meal, a long warm shower just sounds divine. Especially for those of us who are often battling with digestive issues, we’ll often do anything comforting to calm an unsettled stomach. But does showering after a meal actually help with uneasy digestion? Or have we been led astray into believing yet another wellness old wives tale? It turns out many experts believe in the latter.
“The age-old debate of whether to shower before or after eating has left many wondering about the impact on digestion and overall well-being,” says Rohini Patil, MBBS, nutritionist and founder of Nutracy Lifestyle. “Digestion is a complex process that involves the breakdown of food into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body. As food moves through the digestive system, it encounters various enzymes and acids that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. The process is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions, including digestion.”
Explaining the process further, nutritionist and holistic wellness coach Eshanka Wahi says that the breaking down of food into smaller molecules primarily occurs in the stomach and small intestine. Blood flow increases to these organs to aid in digestion, which often results in feeling slightly sluggish after a meal as your body directs energy to this process. So a shower may not be the boost your stomach needs to break down food the right way. To get to the bottom of whether showering can help ease upset stomachs, see what the experts had to say below.
Can showering after eating help with digestion?
The answer to this is a bit more complicated than one might think. On one hand, according to Wahi, showering immediately after eating can disrupt the digestive process. “It does so by diverting blood flow away from the stomach and intestines to the skin’s surface, possibly leading to indigestion,” she says.
Mohammad Fahad Ali, MD, chief of gastroenterology and hepatology, and medical director of the center for gastroenterology and metabolic diseases at Oswego Health, explains that our body temperatures slightly rise as blood is routed towards our digestive system. So taking a warm shower soon after eating may divert blood away from the organs working on our digestion to our skin, causing symptoms such as abdominal cramping and indigestion.
Taking hot showers also has other downsides for our digestion (amongst other things). Studies show that hot water wash away the natural oils and enzymes that aid in nutrient absorption and lead to water loss and dehydration.
So will a cold shower be better for after eating? Dr. Ali says that cold showers don’t redirect blood away from our digestive system and studies show that cold showers can boost our metabolism, enabling faster and smoother digestion of food. But Patil states that there is no scientific backing for this claim. “The answer is nuanced—while some believe that a cold shower can ‘shock’ the system into digesting food faster, there is limited scientific evidence to support this claim,” she says. “In addition, cold showers may constrict blood vessels and slow down digestion, potentially interfering with digestion.”
The Best Time to Shower Post-Meal
While there isn’t a set timeline, all experts recommend waiting at least 30 minutes to an hour before showering. Dr. Ali explains that this will ensure the appropriate blood flow to the stomach and allows for enough time for the digestive process to begin, reducing the risk of any sort of discomfort or digestive disturbance. “The ideal time to shower largely depends on your personal preferences and lifestyle. However, many people find that showering in the morning helps them wake up and feel refreshed for the day ahead. Others prefer to shower in the evening to unwind and wash away the day s stress,” says Wahi.
If it fits your schedule better, you might even want to consider showering before eating. According to Patil, from a digestive standpoint, showering before meals is usually recommended. “This allows for relaxation and preparation before eating—this promotes better digestion and absorption of nutrients.”
What Else Not to Do After You Eat
Showering after a meal isn’t the only activity experts advise against. There are other things to avoid so that you feel comfortable and are able to digest food properly. Dr. Ali lists the following as big no-no’s post-eating:
While this is more about taking care of the health of your teeth, Dr. Ali says it’s not a good idea to brush immediately after a meal as it can damage our tooth enamel. He recommends waiting at least an hour or so for our saliva to naturally remove food particles and also allow our oral cavity to return to its proper pH level.
Though taking a nap (or just going straight to sleep) sounds lovely after a hearty meal, Dr. Ali says that going to bed won’t give our bodies the sufficient amount of time to digest food. In fact, he says it can lead to heartburn and acid reflux if we lie down right after eating. He recommends waiting at least two to three hours before hitting the sack.
This can depend on what you eat and how big your meal was, but generally speaking you’ll want to wait one to two hours after eating to work out. “At that point, the food in our stomachs digested enough, lowering chances of indigestion and stomach upset,” says Dr. Ali. If you’ve eaten something small and snack-like, he says that a 30-minute to an hour wait time is sufficient.
The old adage of waiting at least 30 minutes after eating before jumping into a pool actually isn’t backed by scientific evidence, says Dr. Ali. The thought process came to be, he explains, because when we swim, blood is diverted away from the gut and supplied to the arm and leg muscles, thus impairing our ability to digest our food. So while the no exercising rule still stands after eating (don’t go doing Olympic-level relays), you should be fine if you’re going for a leisurely dip.
The Best Activity Post-Meal
The tried and true way that Dr. Ali recommends to ease digestion after eating by going for a simple walk. Walking after a meal has proven to have many healthy benefits, such as reducing blood sugar levels, promoting healthy weight loss, and boosting your heart health. By walking, you’re helping relieve symptoms of bloating, constipation, acid reflux, and other digestive issues. As an added bonus, it can help you get those 10,000 steps in. So it’s a win-win all-around.
