A recent report claims that chewing food is an essential part of the meal. In fact, it may even be as important as the quality of the food that is eaten.
Throughout food consumption history, many rules and guidelines have surfaced as to how food should be consumed. From food preparation to consumption right on the dining table, people have been told of the "proper" way of eating.
One of these rules is that chewing food 32 times is essential while eating and that swallowing our meals quickly could lead to weight gain and sometimes, even obesity. However, the question remains as to how chewing food 32 times affects weight management.
Well, stuff.co.nz has just recently explained this in detail.
Apparently, chewing food slowly and several times has long ago been a strategy for weight management. The concept was based on a 1926 medical book on obesity written by physician Leonard Williams.
According to Williams, in order to work properly, the human stomach needs for the food that passes through it to be "thoroughly disintegrated by the teeth" and "steeped in saliva" to work properly, and that this can be achieved by chewing food properly.
As weight loss programs and diet regimens have surfaced in recent decades due to the rise in obesity cases, chewing food thoroughly has frequently been advised.
Digestive Process - The Scientific Explanation
Chewing food several times breaks it down into small particles that mix with the mouth's saliva. Saliva begins the digestion process and the food is further broken down. The food then passes through the stomach, where it mixes with gastric acid.
The broken-down components of the food then proceed to the gut, and in the process, nutrients and water from the food is absorbed by the body. Meanwhile, undigested food, as well as partly digested ones passes out of the body. Chewing food properly allows for the digestion process to begin and continue smoothly.
If food isn't chewed properly, food can sometimes be resistant to stomach acid, leaving it unprocessed and undigested as they come out of the body - such as peas or corn.
The brain reportedly needs enough time to process the fact that food has been consumed. Eating too quickly results in eating more than what the body needs, thus the reason why eating slow has been a successful weight-management strategy.
A study by researchers from the University of Birmingham supports this explanation as they confirmed that prolonged chewing reduces food intake, and snacking frequently is also reduced. Meanwhile, other studies show that obese people chew less than people of normal weight.
Why 32 Times?
Apparently, the number is random, however, the science is sound. In fact, chewing more times than that number will prove a better strategy of managing weight.
