Having a healthy digestive system is essential for overall good health. Many people drink water as a way to help keep their digestive systems functioning healthily and properly. But what are the facts? Does drinking water really help digestion in any meaningful way? We'll explore the benefits of drinking water, how it’s good for your health and digestive system, and offer tips on how to best use water for healthy digestion.

How does water aid digestion?

Out of everything you could ever drink, water will always provide the most benefits for your overall hydration, mental responsiveness, physical health, temperature regulation, hair, skin, muscles, and joints. But alongside all the good bacteria your body gets from healthy, fibre-heavy food, water is crucial to digestion, supporting a healthy bowel and benefiting your digestive system overall.

At the top of the chain is your saliva. The watery liquid is secreted into the mouth by your salivary glands, moistening your food to help make it easier to chew and swallow before it travels down into your stomach. And water is an essential element of the mucous that lines the inside of your stomach, helping to protect it from acidic digestive juices.

Once the food is in your stomach, another release of watery liquid containing enzymes helps break it down into smaller parts before travelling to the small intestine for digestion.

How does water help keep a healthy bowel?

Once the food is in the small intestine, water is still the prominent substance that enables the entire digestive process. Watery liquid enters the system from the intestinal lining, pancreas, and liver, while more enzymes help the intestine absorb substances, including amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates.

All the goodness and nutrients of the food are absorbed in the small bowel at this stage before seeping into your bloodstream. But digestion continues into the large bowel where, once again, water is the hero. All fibre in the healthy food you eat is split into two parts at this stage: soluble fibres, which dissolve and add bulk, and insoluble fibres, which attract water to help keep regular bowel movements.

It’s also the large bowel that takes in most of the minerals that you eat, and the water in this part of your body helps them to be absorbed into your system.

So does water help digestion?

Undoubtedly, yes. While healthy eating and exercise contribute to a healthy digestive system, water does most of the heavy lifting along the whole digestive process. Without enough of it, you can face digestion issues, including constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain – and that’s no good for anyone. So the answer to maintaining a healthy body and digestive system is simply to keep drinking water – and Thirsty Work can help you.

We’ve put together a list of quick, easy, and simple things you can do to make drinking water a healthy habit. But why not start by installing a mains fed water cooler or bottled water cooler in your home or office too?

Call the team today on 01392 877 172 or email us at hello@thirstywork.com to start your no-obligation, 10-day free trial of any water cooler. We’ll install it for you, and you can see how a regular glass or two of easily accessible, great-tasting pure-filtered will help you get into the habit much quicker.