No. According to experts, this is just another popular belief. “The worst that can happen is a feeling of drowsiness, since during digestion the blood flow is concentrated in the stomach”, says ophthalmologist Emílio de Haro Muñoz, from Unifesp. This state of laziness appears mainly after the most abundant meals, such as a succulent feijoada. “The concentration of blood causes the flow in the brain to decrease, but it does not cause any damage to the eyes”, says Emílio. The duration of this sensation varies according to digestion. “Fat foods digest more slowly than light foods; and women have longer digestion than men”, says gastroenterologist Sônia Letícia Lorena, from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp).
If reading after meals is allowed, doctors do not recommend reading while eating – the ideal is to focus only on the act of eating. For this, it is also worth talking only when necessary. “We shouldn’t talk too much while eating, so as not to take in too much air. The ingested gas causes pain and discomfort”, says Sônia. Other legends related to reading say that reading in dim light or using the computer for a long time spoils your eyesight. Indeed, eye strain may occur, but permanent damage is ruled out.