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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Two new studies are flipping conventional diet wisdom on its head. Drinking water during meals was actually linked to eating more, not less, while spicier foods led people to eat slower and consume significantly fewer calories. Experts urge caution before changing patient advice, noting neither study measured long-term weight outcomes.
Two small but intriguing studies published in Appetite and Food Quality and Preference are challenging some long-held dietary assumptions. In the water study, researchers found that for every additional 100 g of water consumed during a meal, participants ate about 39 g more food — roughly 49 extra calories. Frequent switching between bites and sips amplified the effect further. In the spicy food study, participants who ate spicier salsa consumed 28% fewer total snack calories and ate 30% more slowly than those eating the mild version.
Gastroenterology experts welcomed the findings but urged restraint in clinical application. Both studies were short-term, lab-controlled experiments that didn't track weight changes or account for eating behavior later in the day.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: These findings nudge clinicians to reconsider blanket advice like "drink water to eat less," and suggest that eating pace — not just food composition — may be an underutilized lever in weight management counseling.
