Is It True that You Shouldn’t Shower Right After Eating?

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The definitive guide on the effects of showering on your digestion
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Chances are that you’ve heard stories about people who showered right after eating big meals and the indigestion issues they experienced. These old wives' tales act as warnings against bathing too quickly post-dinner, but is there any truth to this popular myth? If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe or healthy to shower after eating or not, keep reading for a comprehensive breakdown, including expert tips from Board-Certified Gastroenterologist Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH, and Board-Certified Internist & Gastroenterologist Dale Prokupek, MD. Don’t worry, we’ve made all the information easy for you to digest !

Should you shower after eating?

Although there is no definitive evidence to suggest that showering after a meal is bad for you, try to avoid it if you can. Showering with hot water increases your body temperature and directs energy toward your skin, instead of toward digestion, which could lead to mild digestive issues like gas or bloating.

Section 1 of 6:

Is it bad to shower after eating?

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  1. Although the evidence is inconclusive, taking a warm bath or shower after a big meal can potentially interrupt your digestion. When submerged in or exposed to warm water, we undergo a process called hyperthermic action, which increases the body’s temperature. Generally speaking, hyperthermic action is a good thing and can help you relax and boost your immune system. However, your body’s temperature is already higher during digestion, so taking a hot bath after eating can confuse your body’s internal systems. [1]
    • Taking a shower shortly after eating can derail the blood flow from the digestive system to the skin, disrupting digestion and leading to issues like abdominal cramping, bloating, and indigestion.
    • Again, there is no concrete scientific proof that this practice is bad for you, but there does seem to be an increased risk of disrupted digestion when taking a warm shower post-meal, with zero benefits to doing so.
    • Dr. Khan explains that good digestion is all a matter of self-control and good inventory: “Watch what you put in, and watch what’s coming out.”
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Section 2 of 6:

Potential Effects of Showering After a Meal

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  1. 1
    Digestive issues Possible issues of showering directly after eating include indigestion, cramping, bloating, and gas—all the usual suspects when it comes to digestive problems. During a warm shower, blood flow is rerouted toward the skin, neglecting the digestive organs, which need the energy to properly absorb nutrients and store waste. [2]
    • Additionally, showering right after eating can lead to the scrubbing off of natural oils and enzymes on the skin, which also help stimulate digestion.
    • Showering immediately after a meal can also lead to dehydration, because the hot water causes us to sweat, and our body temperature is already high from trying to digest food.
    • Dr. Khan offers some tips on alleviating abdominal discomfort. He says, “Drink a lot of ginger ale or eat some ginger, which is a natural remedy.”
      • He shares that some people also get results from eating mint, but warns to stay away from acids, like lemonade.
      • Dr. Khan also recommends using over-the-counter remedies like Pepto Bismol, as they are designed to help reduce stomach acid.
      • “If anyone has a persistent upset stomach, they should probably see their doctor,” he adds.
  2. 2
    Increased blood pressure Hot showers and baths can temporarily elevate blood pressure. Although this brief spike is not necessarily dangerous, the body’s blood pressure is already higher than normal while eating.
    • Consuming certain ingredients, like sodium, coupled with a hot shower, can potentially lead to harmful results, such as increased risk of heart attack and stroke. [3]
  3. 3
    Heightened body temperature As soon as you take your first bite of food, your body begins the digestive process. Therefore, if you finish a meal and go take a hot shower afterward, your body is already warm from the early stages of digestion and will only get warmer under a stream of hot water. [4]
    • It’s unlikely that your increased body temperature will lead to any serious complications in this specific situation, as body temperature typically only increases by 1 or 2 degrees during hyperthermic action.
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Section 3 of 6:

How long should you wait to take a bath or shower after eating?

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  1. This isn’t an official timeline, as some experts believe that waiting 30 minutes is enough, while others argue that you should wait at least 1 hour to allow digestion to begin. In essence, the longer you wait to shower after having a meal, the less risk you run of experiencing digestive distress. The amount, type, and quality of food you’re eating before a shower can affect your digestion, too, as fattier, larger portions will require more energy to digest. [5]
Section 4 of 6:

Is it better to take a cold shower after a meal?

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  1. There’s no evidence that cold showers are any better than hot showers after eating. Although some people claim that showering with cold water after a meal is better than hot, and research shows that cold showers are generally good for your health, acting as a boost for metabolic processes, there is very limited proof that it improves digestion immediately after a meal. In fact, a piece of evidence to the contrary suggests that cold showers can constrict your blood vessels, not allowing enough blood flow to properly stimulate digestion. [6]
    • Taking a lukewarm shower directly after eating might be the best option if you can’t wait. Lukewarm water shouldn’t raise your body temperature or disrupt the blood flow to your digestive organs, like hot or cold water would.
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Section 5 of 6:

Other Activities to Avoid After a Meal

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  1. Wait at least 30 minutes after a meal to brush your teeth. It can be very tempting to brush your teeth right after a meal, but as it turns out, the food particles that linger may have highly acidic properties that could damage your enamel if you spread them all over your teeth when brushing. Ultimately, it’s best to wait about half an hour until your mouth returns to its normal pH balance. [7]
    • A good, safe option is to brush your teeth when you wake up in the morning and before bed at night.
  2. 2
    Exercise Similar to taking a hot shower, exercising heats up the body, supporting cardiovascular organs instead of digestive ones, which is not ideal for digestion since it reroutes blood flow away from the stomach and intestines. It’s best to avoid eating a large meal before an intense workout, but if you have to eat, go for a light, healthy snack about an hour before exercising. [8]
    • Although intense exercise is not encouraged, a light, post-dinner walk can actually help digestion along.
    • On the impact of exercise on the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Prokupek says: “When we exercise, the motility of our GI tract increases. People who don't exercise get very constipated because leading a sedentary lifestyle paralyzes your GI tract.”
    • He goes on to say that yoga can offer tons of benefits for our digestion. “A lot of the twisting poses in yoga stimulate forward propulsion of your GI tract, which supports the goal of clearing out your colon every 48 hours or so.”
  3. 3
    Swimming Doing laps in the pool after eating is another form of exercise that is highly debated in the health community. However, studies show that taking a dip in a tepid pool won’t increase your body temperature and should not interfere with your digestion. [9]
    • Moreover, the energy required to digest food shouldn't take away from the blood flow being rerouted to your arms and legs while swimming, so your greatest issue in this situation is likely to be a negligible cramp.
  4. 4
    Sleep Taking a nap after a big lunch certainly sounds like a perfect afternoon—but not for your digestive organs! This is largely due to gravity, as lying down can halt the flow of food from the esophagus to the stomach, and send it back up, resulting in heartburn, gas, and general digestive discomfort. [10]
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Section 6 of 6:

Final Takeaways

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  1. However, experts agree that there are no real benefits to showering immediately after a meal, either. Quite the opposite, as trying to digest a meal while taking a warm shower can lead to increased body temperature and blood pressure, as well as digestive issues since blood flow is being rerouted to the skin. [11]
    • To be on the safe side, try to wait 30-60 minutes after you eat to shower.
    • Additionally, avoid sleeping, brushing your teeth, and doing any kind of rigorous exercise right after you eat, although a light walk or swim are both safe to do!

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      References

      1. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6011066/
      2. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/7041-digestive-system
      3. ↑ https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/common-high-blood-pressure-myths
      4. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22111-hyperthermia
      5. ↑ https://www.onlymyhealth.com/should-you-bathe-immediately-after-eating-1687349250
      6. ↑ https://www.vogue.in/content/when-is-the-right-time-to-shower-before-or-after-a-meal-experts-put-the-debate-to-rest
      7. ↑ https://www.ekachaihospital.com/en/10-healthy-things-to-remember-before-and-after-you-eat-dinner/
      8. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045506
      9. ↑ https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-should-you-wait-30-minutes-to-swim-after-eating/
      1. ↑ https://share.upmc.com/2015/11/is-it-bad-to-sleep-after-a-meal/
      2. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/why-you-should-never-take-a-shower-right-after-a-meal/photostory/94119007.cms?picid=94119011

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