Eating is a necessity for man to live. This is one aspect of man that no kind of technological advancement can substitute. The food we eat is the human fuel that keeps us going. Over the past decades, a lot of articles have emphasized how necessary it is for us to eat good food.
Food hygiene has also been a very common topic nowadays. What we eat, where we eat, and how we eat it becomes the question. Often times you come across people asking this question, is it bad to eat while lying down? This question is most common from kids and youngsters to their parents and a few times the parents to the dietician or doctors. The reason for this question could be based on the individuals’ love for lying down while eating through habit, such as when watching the latest movie on Netflix, or multitasking with a games console pal, whilst stuffing their faces with pizza; or maybe first thing in the morning when having breakfast in bed.
Recent research has shown that our posture while eating greatly affects how well the food digests. Just as you don’t expect the flow of water from the top of a hose down to be the same with its flow from one end to another. Research also shows that sitting while eating, as opposed to lying down, makes us subconsciously eat slower, and be more focused on the meal, which helps our food digest properly.
One of the risks associated with lying down while eating is slow motility and delay in digestion unlike if you are sitting. Eating while lying down is also a known risk factor of reflux esophagitis. It can also result in heartburn or GERD, a syndrome where the lower esophagus does not close off properly after swallowing. This usually allows the stomach and food acid to move up from the stomach into the esophagus. Heartburn is a burning sensation around the chest area where the esophagus is located and the best way to prevent this is to sit while eating. A lot of people have suggested many things as the disadvantage of eating while lying down but most of these side effects are mere assumptions and speculations. No research has proved these assertions to be true. Apart from the above-listed effects like heartburn and slow digestion and in rare cases, cancer it affects have never been worse.
So the answer to the question, ‘Is it bad to eat while lying down?’ is partial yes. So you can go on if it suits you but always remember the side effects. Doing it isn’t likely going to kill you or cause any serious harm apart from those listed above. At the end of the day, it’s your decision to make, but just like your mother and doctor have said it is more advisable to sit while eating. Serious tiredness and sickness are however different situations altogether. So what are you waiting for? Sit up and be comfortable as this will really help speed up your digestion.
