Today, more than ever, things that we hear and read on the internet need to be fact checked. Facebook on a regular basis shows us AI generated posts with life like graphics and plausible texts showing AI generated videos well known people that are totally fake. So prevalent are these fake posts that some people now refer to Facebook as Fakebook.
However, the substitution of fiction for fact is not confined to the internet. Many of our media sources present lies as truth. This was demonstrated by the Murdoch media which was the first to break the news that Donald Trump had lost the 2020 presidential election. Sky News and other Murdoch media outlets continued to run stories about Trump's electoral loss. After a while the Murdoch people noticed that their ratings and circulation figures were falling. This affected advertising revenue. Rupert Murdoch notified all of his editors to change their stories. They were to stop saying Trump lost the election. Instead they were to promote the Trumpian myth that the election was rigged. There was no proof of this but it was what Trump supporters wanted to read, Ratings went up and advertising money once again came flooding. We all learned that the Murdoch media was not a news outlet at all, it was a business that would print lies if it increased profits.
However , it is not just the Internet or the mendacious Murdoch media that provides fiction as facts. It can happen when well intentioned but misinformed people are given a platform or a microphone to spout their myths as facts. Even the trusted ABC is a victim of false information being dressed up as fact.
Recently, when driving my car, I heard a woman on ABC Radio insisting that we should not drink water for half an hour before or after meals. She said water dilutes the gastric juices. I thought the idea sounded plausible but wondered if it was supported by scientific research. She sounded very knowledgeable and very adamant. Her main argument was: Water, when consumed close to mealtime, dilutes the stomach’s gastric juices—primarily hydrochloric acid and enzymes. This, she said with the vigour of ignorance, makes it harder for the stomach to break down food, leading to poorer digestion or discomfort. She sounded plausible.
What Does the Science Say? When I arrived home I decided to check her story. What Does the Science Say? Scientific research does not support the notion that drinking water before, during, or after meals, is harmful or disrupts digestion. In fact, the Science says water plays a helpful role in the digestive process. The stomach is far more sophisticated than the radio lady’s claim. It automatically adjusts the stomach’s acidity, even if you drink water with meals. The stomach’s cells constantly monitor acidity and maintain the ideal ph levels at around 1.5 to 2.5 to promote good digestion. How clever! Does drinking water slow digestion? No, it does not! Liquids empty from the stomach much faster than solids and research does not show that adding water slows the digestive process. The research shows that drinking water 30 minutes before a meal helps regulate appetite and supports digestion. Water during a meal helps moisten the food and aids digestion.
The Bottom Line. Be very wary of unverified expert opinions! Drinking water before and after meals is safe and normal, does not dilute the gastric juices and is actually beneficial to digestion. So, drink up. Drinking water is good at any time. And the really good news is that my research revealed that 85% to 95% of wine and beer is…WATER! 85% of a gin and tonic is water . I'll drink to that So will, Marilyn!
A glass of Gin and Tonic is 90% WATER . As they say… Bottoms Up… and Good Health!
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