The formula for losing weight and maintaining weight loss is made up of several factors and all of them are important in order to get the desired result. One factor that is given little thought is the importance of chewing food well and thoroughly. Chewing or mastication is a process of crushing food by using teeth to make it into a smaller piece [1]. But chewing food well sounds easier than it really is. E.g., when we eat in front of the television or computer, at the movies or in a social gathering, we tend to eat very fast while not chewing well. During a binge, compulsive eaters can ingest large quantities of food with hardly enough time to chew it half well. These are moments where everyone can relate. But it turns out that eating fast and chewing food poorly might also be an unhealthy habit linked to overweight and obesity.
Is there a relation between chewing and obesity?
Eating quickly has been associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and a higher prevalence of obesity. According to a meta-analysis review of epidemiological studies, the mean difference in BMIs between individuals who ate quickly and those who ate slowly was 1.78 kg [2]. Several studies have suggested that eating slowly or increasing the number of chewing cycles during meals is associated with a lower BMI in the case of adults, and the same has been established with preschool children [3].
Another recent study has even established a relation between obesity, chewing frequency and stress. The study showed that people generally tend to a higher chewing frequency after experimenting stress. This suggest that our chewing pace might be affected by our reactions to stress and that chewing quickly might be a stress reduction strategy. Furthermore, the study reported that people with obesity showed a lower chewing frequency when they rested after stress in comparison to people with a healthy weight. This finding points to the existence of different eating styles between people struggling with obesity and those who are not [4], and the difference might rely precisely on the chewing pace.
Benefits of chewing well
- It allows your body to absorb more nutrients
- It eases your digestion
- It makes it easier to eat smaller portions
- It allows you to truly enjoy the favors of your food
- It enhances your eating experience
- It allows you to maintain a healthier weight
- It enables you to produce more saliva, which brings further benefits like:
- Compensating the acidity of some foods
- Reducing the risk of choking
- Reducing or killing carcinogens in your food
Studies such as those conducted by Professor Hajime Nishioka’s team of Doshisha University in Japan [5] indicate that chewing food very well has benefits that go beyond weight control. Nishioka’s study found that saliva can kill some carcinogens that are found in foods.
Chewing food well also helps to maintain oral health, because producing more saliva compensates for the acidity of some foods, which can damage the enamel and promote tooth decay. Not to mention the reduction in the risk of choking; 4 thousand people die each year in the United States by choking on food.
It has also been found that proper chewing works the muscles that surround the face, with the positive effects extending to the brain, as it improves the blood flow that helps boost brain activity.
As you can see, we can safely say that chewing food well is not only an important tool for weight loss and weight control but, as it is often the case with all healthy habits; this simple action’s benefits go much further than we thought.
The importance of chewing well
We must be aware of the fact that digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing breaks down the food into smaller particles that are easier to digest. This also facilitates the absorption of nutrients in the intestine because the bioavailability of food increases the better we chew it.
Chewing food properly is an effective way to control portions. Research suggests that eating slowly helps us eat less food and therefore also helps us lose and control our weight. It is well known that it takes the brain 20 minutes to signal the body that it’s full; in fact, a person who eats slowly tends to consume 10 percent less than someone who eats faster.
When we chew food well, we tend to enjoy and savor it more, even the healthy food that we did not necessarily enjoy before acquires a new dimension and begins to be more palatable and to our liking. It is difficult to change the particular way in which each person eats, mostly because the person has probably been eating the same way for years, but each meal is actually a new opportunity to replace a bad habit with a good one.
What experts recommend is to begin by taking smaller bites which easily fit into the mouth and don’t require you to “open wide”. The next step is to chew consciously, slowly and thoroughly, until the food loses its original texture and can be passed almost effortlessly. It is also a good idea to set down your fork between each bite, not to bring food to the mouth until the last mouthful has been swallowed and not to drink anything until you have fully passed all food.
When food is not thoroughly chewed, the body responds in a delayed manner and does not “give the signal” that we have eaten enough already. The result is that we will eat more food than if we had chewed properly.
This business of chewing well is also an exercise in awareness and a tool that allows us to have a more realistic assessment of the amount of food we are actually eating, as well as of its quality. Appreciating the textures and subtle flavors of food helps us value it more; and we tend not to abuse the things we truly value.
Advice on how to chew well
- Eat slowly and take your time with every bite. Count an average of 30 chews per every bite. Of course, the number of chews will depend on the type of meal you are eating. A steak might take more than 30 chews, and a watermelon might take less than 25.
- Choose small bites for every mouthful. Try not to overload your spoon or fork. This will also make your food last longer and will give you an easier time chewing.
- Eating is a truly social activity, but try not to talk while you’re chewing. Talking while chewing usually makes you engulf your food after chewing less. If you are having a nice dinner conversation with someone, try not to rush your swallowing so you can continue chatting. Just enjoy your food as much as your chatting.
- Sometimes the habit of moistening food with sauce or beverages can cause us to swallow bigger bites. Remember to chew each bite thoroughly even if they are moist.
- Finish chewing and swallowing every bite before you take on another.
- And last but not least, try not to drink liquids while you are eating. It is better to either drink liquids 15 to 30 minutes before and after you eat. Drinking liquids while eating makes you swallow bigger bites and it also fools your stomach into believing it is full with less nutrients.
Changing eating habits are very difficult at first, but setting your mind to it and committing to a goal can truly lead you to establishing new and more healthy habits. But you have to consider, of course, that it takes time and practice!
At LIMARP we are convinced that adopting healthy habits is the only thing that can guarantee the best results for our patients, which is why our comprehensive patient care plan includes a proactive re-education of patients that helps them make permanent changes in favor of their health.
Our team is at your service and we can help. For a free evaluation call LIMARP International Center of Excellence for Obesity at (619) 270-8823, send us a message through any of our social media, or fill out a contact form at www.limarp.com
Bibliography
- [1]Asmiza Selamat, N.; Ali, S. H. (2020). Automatic Food Intake Monitoring Based on Chewing Activity: A Survey. IEEEAccess 8: 48846-48869. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9024026
- [2] Ohkuma, T.; Khirakama, Y.; Nakamura, U.; Kiyohara, Y.; Kitazono, T.; Ninomiya, T. (2015). Association between eating rate and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity, 39 (11):1589-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26100137/
- [3] Okubo, H.; Murakami, K.; Masayasu, S.; Sasaki, S. (2018). The Relationship of Eating Rate and Degree of Chewing to Body Weight Status among Preschool Children in Japan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients, 11(64). https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/1/64
- [4] Herhaus, B.; Päßler, S.; Petrowski, K. (2018). Stress-related laboratory eating behavior in adults with obesity and healthy weight. Physiology & Behavior, 196:150-157. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938418306966
- [5] Nishioka, H.; Nishi, K.; Kyokane, K. (1981). Human saliva inactivates mutagenicity of carcinogens. Mutat Res. 5: 323-33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7029260/