Is it okay to eat standing up? A doctor weighs in.

Digestion works best when you’re upright, relaxed, and not in a hurry. Image: Westend61 / Getty Images Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You’re busy. Somewhere along the way, the chair disappeared from meals. Breakfast over the sink, lunch at the counter. Sometimes, you can still hear your parents chiding you about how it’s “better” to sit down while eating. But is that really true? Is it bad to eat standing up? Digestion is about gravity When it comes to habits for good digestion , experts say the goal is to work with—not against— gravity. Whether you’re sitting down or standing up, a good guideline is to simply make sure you’re eating upright. The biggest no-no is eating lying down, or lying down right after you eat. “A really common way to trigger heartburn symptoms is to eat and then lie down immediately,” Dr. Carolyn Newberry , gastroenterologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, tells Popular Science . “As stomach acid gets secreted and it’s digesting food and mixing it up in your stomach, that can regurgitate back up if you’re not using gravity to help it go down properly.” Ancient Romans often laid down while they ate—that doesn’t mean you should. Image: Public Domain It typically takes about two hours or more for food to move from the stomach to the intestines, which is why eating right before bed is discouraged. With gravity in mind, eating standing up might not be that different from eating sitting down. Experts say the major drawback to standing and eating is mainly that people tend to do it because they’re in a hurry, and that’s where the trouble lies. The trouble with eating in a hurry If you’re experiencing indigestion and changes in diet aren’t helping, experts suggest examining the pace of your meals. Eating in a rush can cause bloating, upset stomach, and overeating. Unintentionally swallowing excess air and not chewing sufficiently as you scarf down your lunch can be rough on the gut. Our digestive system does its best work when we’re in a leisurely state. Newberry says people should take their time while eating meals. She encourages taking smaller bites and making sure to chew completely. “The digestion process starts in the mouth,” she says, “even with the salivary enzymes that break down some of your macronutrients.” Pumping the breaks can also help you to know how much food you actually need. “You want to eat at a pace that you can feel when you’re full,” Newberry says. Satiety hormones kick in at a bit of a delay. It takes about 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to start sending you the “Hey, I’m almost full now” signals . When you eat slowly, you give it a chance to get that message across, which helps you to avoid overeating. If you must eat quickly, however, Newberry recommends eating smaller, more frequent, protein-rich, snack-sized meals. Related 'Ask Us