AWESOME SIDE EFFECT OF DRINKING WATER WITH YOUR MEALS

The Awesome Side Effect of Drinking Water with Your Meals

We're officially convinced that H20 has magical properties.

We doubt you needed more proof that hydrating with H20 is essential, but we've got it: Drinking water with meals was linked to an increase in fruit and veggie consumption in a new study out of Spain.

The researchers' goal was to take a look at the relationship between people's meal habits and what they eat (fruits and veggies, dairy, salty and fatty foods, ready-made meals, etc.). They examined diet habit data from 1,332 Spanish adults ages 20 to 79—everything from how many meals the people eat each day to what kinds of food the people consume to what they wash their meals down with.

Two particularly interesting findings: While having sugary drinks with meals was linked to regularly eating ready-made meals, drinking water with meals was positively associated with eating two or more portions of fruits and vegetables. Taking in all of those things sounds good to us!

Of course, as the study authors note in the article, "it is possible that the relationships observed are not one of cause, but correlated with a person’s willingness to follow a healthy diet"—as in, it makes sense that people who choose to drink H20 over soda or other sugary beverages are also the people who are more likely to stock up on produce.

Still, pouring yourself a glass or two of water at dinner tonight certainly can't hurt.