Before Or After Eating? This Is The Best Time To Take A Shower, According To Experts

How many times have you woken up to a scrumptious breakfast, followed by a long shower? Certainly many times, right? Especially on the weekends, this ritual is practiced and without a second thought.

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Ayurvedic doctor advises against shower after meals

However, it turns out that Ayurveda strongly advises against the habit of bathing immediately before or after meals. According to Dr. Rekha Radhamony, an Ayurveda expert, answers why and what is the best time to shower instead.

In a post titled ¡®why you should never take a shower right after a meal,¡¯ the expert begins by stating that taking bath is a ¡°cooling process.¡± ¡°The temperature of the body goes down after a shower,¡± she wrote, adding that ¡°temperature going down also means low blood circulation and absorption¡± ¡ª which lowers the digestive fire.

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Best time to take a shower

She said that according to Ayurveda, ¡°taking a shower right after meals is blasphemous¡±, further sharing that ideally, one should take a shower 1-3 hours before a meal.

According to Dr Patil, from a digestive standpoint, showering before meals is usually recommended. ¡°This allows for relaxation and preparation before eating¡ªthis promotes better digestion and absorption of nutrients.¡±

Why taking a shower isn't recommended after a meal

Taking a warm bath or shower after eating can disrupt the natural process of digestion due to the stimulation of hyperthermic action, which raises your internal body temperature by a degree or two. Normally, after a meal, your body directs increased blood flow to your digestive organs to aid in digestion.

However, the hyperthermic action from the warm water can divert this blood flow, potentially hindering the digestive process and causing discomfort.

Additionally, the increase in heart rate induced by a bath or shower on a full stomach can exacerbate this discomfort. While there isn't conclusive scientific evidence to support this, anecdotal evidence suggests that the conflicting signals from the warm water and the post-meal blood flow redirection may lead to feelings of confusion, discomfort or even increased blood pressure in some individuals.

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¡°Taking a bath immediately after meals cools down your body. A sudden drop in body temperature will dampen your Agni and lead to a sluggish metabolism. Since an impaired metabolism is a major reason for all diseases, according to Ayurveda, this will lead to various diseases. Ideally, taking a bath 2-3 hours before meals would be best,¡± Dr Archana Sukumaran, Ayurveda expert at Kerala Ayurveda, explained.

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