Why chew food

One common piece of advice is to chew your food an estimated 32 times before swallowing. It takes fewer chews to break down soft and water-filled food. The goal of chewing is to break down your food so it loses texture. Chewing 32 times appears to be an average number applied to most bites of food.

Foods that are harder to chew, such as steak and nuts, may require up to 40 chews per mouthful. Foods like watermelon may require fewer chews to break down — as few as 10 to Experts say that the faster you eat, the more food you will tend to eat.

Chewing your food many times at a slower pace can reduce your overall food intake. In one study, 30 healthy women consumed meals at different paces.

The women who ate slower consumed significantly less food yet felt fuller than those who ate quicker. In another study, chewing more during mealtime was found to reduce snacking on candies later in the day. Besides weight control, experts say that chewing your food properly can also help increase the amount of nutrients you get out of your food.

Drinking water can slow the digestive process by diluting enzymes in the body that break down food. This effect is especially intense if you suffer from digestive disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.

It is important for children to acquire the habit of chewing thoroughly from a young age. Since the period from infancy to the age of school-age is important for children to develop masticatory functions, and they need home instruction. It is recommended that chewy foods be included in meals or snacks. If food is not chewed properly larger particles enter the digestive tract causing digestive problems such as gas, bloating, constipation, food reactions, headaches and lowered energy levels.

As you chew your food more digestive enzymes are produced. These help to breakdown food further to assist digestion. The process of chewing also triggers the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, this further aids digestion, by regulating the pH to increase acidity levels assisting with food breakdown.

Breaking down food into smaller particles means that it is easier for your body to absorb a greater amount of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals from the food you are eating.

The more you chew your food, the longer it will take to finish your meal. In general it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that it is full. Therefore if you are eating slower, it is less likely that you will over-eat.

Chewing increases production of saliva which contains epithelial growth factor EGF , a polypeptide that stimulates growth and repair of epithelial tissue. Thoroughly chewing your food increases production of this EGF, nourishing the gut.

Food particles that are not properly broken down can cause bacterial overgrowth and increased fermentation in the gut, leading to conditions such as indigestion, bloating, increased gas and constipation. So how many times should you chew your food for adequate digestion?

But, she emphasizes, "you don't need to count, just make sure the food turns to liquid before you swallow. So that's what I did. For a week straight, I dutifully chewed and chewed and chewed until no lumps remained. Yes, it was initially a big pain in the ass—and I ended up cursing my fully loaded salads —but over time I got the hang of things.

And to be honest, it really didn't add that much time to my meals. While I did remove myself from my computer to focus more on my meals while I ate, I didn't fully give up multitasking. I decided to use this time to strategically let my mind wander—because, typically, that's when my most creative ideas pop up.

During those moments I really had no time? To be honest, sometimes I just made a smoothie. At the one-week mark, I'd mostly gotten the hang of chewing each bite of food approximately 30 times sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less , with a few slip-ups sprinkled in. The results? Nothing crazy life-changing, but I was a bit less gassy and a bit more regular and less, well, urgent than usual. I also didn't feel the need to mindlessly munch quite as much since it was no longer a mindless activity , and my days felt surprisingly more productive when I gave my brain a bit of a break.

While I'm not sure that I'll continue to chew each bite of food 30 times counting sucks the joy out of eating for me , the results were substantial enough to prove that chewing is an essential component of digestion—not just a necessary step to funnel food down the gullet. So, yes, I plan to do my best to chew each bite of food completely. And when I feel like I can't? There are always smoothies and digestive enzymes. You are now subscribed Be on the lookout for a welcome email in your inbox!

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