Chewing food more helps in losing weight

@sharksfin (1091)
Philippines
July 21, 2012 1:22pm CST
I am not sure how many have heard of this but it's worth the try. There has been a study conducted proving that this can be very helpful to those who want to lose weight. Chewing food 40 times before swallowing helps in lowering the hunger hormone, which causes you to feel easily full. Besides the fact that you help your digestive system digest efficiently since you've already helped in breaking down food into smaller particles even before it reaches the stomach. Clearly, it helps in digestion. So, not only that it is an aid to weight loss, it's also very essential in the process of digestion. My grandfather is my best proof of this. I can remember how my grandma would tease my him about being like a goat. He chews longer than everyone so it takes longer time for him to eat. But, you'll see the benefit. He doesn't have problems with digestion, he's never constipated, and he's very lean. Another account related to this is from a new friend from my Church group. She's been having stomach problems and because of this she had to go to the doctor for check up. She described everything that she experiences and the doctor didn't give her any medication but a suggestion -- to chew more. Lastly, another girl friend whom I recently had dinner with have the same habit of chewing more. She eats like a construction worker. She can finish six cups of rice in one sitting, but she's very lean. Except her chubby cheeks. This is something worth trying. A simple habit that can change your health forever!
2 people like this
16 responses
@GemmaR (8517)
21 Jul 12
The only reason that this would help you to lose weight would be because it takes you longer to eat, and you would realise that you were feeling full so would therefore eat less food. A better way to lose weight would be to start making healthier choices and start exercising, which is what I did when I wanted to lose eight stone. I managed to do it, and it is something that I am very proud of myself about and I know that there is no way I would ever want to change and go back to the person that I was before I lost the weight.
2 people like this
• Lubbock, Texas
21 Jul 12
Why not do both? Chewing more is definitely a benefit to your health. If you're chewing more healthy food in the process you double your benefits.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
22 Jul 12
A few years ago, I've read that chewing food properly is beneficial to one's health. I tried chewing more but it took me a lot of time to finish my food, so I gave up LOL. Thanks for sharing this information, sharksfin.:) Now, I will try to chew more (again) hehe. I'm not overweight. In fact, I'm skinny and would LOVE to gain some weight. But I have indigestion, which is annoying. I would sometimes not be able to finish my food because of my upset stomach. It's inconvenient especially when I'm at work or at the mall.
1 person likes this
@sharksfin (1091)
• Philippines
25 Jul 12
Yeah, try it! I think most of the problem related to upset stomach is due to improperly chewed food. It helps a lot when we chew food more so the stomach won't need to work double when food has been grind-ed enough before it reached it. I think it's my same problem. Lately, I have been suffering from upset stomach. It's good that I was able to talk to this friend who experienced the same problem and described the similarities to what I experienced. I started chewing more since. But, it's a conscious effort on my end as I am not used to keeping food inside my mouth longer. Makes me feel squeamish. hehe
• Philippines
26 Jul 12
I tried chewing more after reading your discussion, but it makes me squeamish too! And I don't like my food to get cold, that's why I eat fast... I guess we'll have to keep trying for the sake of our stomach.:P
@oldchem1 (8132)
22 Jul 12
Taking your time over a meal and chewing your food well is an aid to weight loss as it takes around 10 minutes for your body to realise that you 'are full'; so ifyou eat quickly you are for more likely to overeat. However people who sit at a table without a TV or other distraction and eat their meals slowly , not only enjoy their food more, but will eat less and therefore lose weight!!
1 person likes this
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
21 Jul 12
Chewing food more helps in better digestion but I am not sure if it also helps in losing weight.
1 person likes this
@sharksfin (1091)
• Philippines
22 Jul 12
Hi, DoctorDidi. It prolly don't have any contribution in breaking down fats or anything. But, what it helps a person with is it deceives the body that it has more to digest or something so a person will have a feeling of fullness and won't have to really eat more eventually.
• India
23 Jul 12
It might be.
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
26 Jul 12
You are right chewing meal well is good habit but this is not my habit. I chew with in 5 minutes and complete my lunch with in 5 minutes. My mother in law also told me meals should eat properly and chew slowly slowly but this is not possible for me.
@iola2012 (172)
• Philippines
22 Jul 12
It is better to engulf the food not a quick manner. Since it can help to digest the food easily. At young age, metabolism is too fast to digest the food and it metabolizes to our body. That's why, some youth are skinny or slim.
@padu19 (1441)
• India
26 Jul 12
Ya.. I agree with your point. Even I have noticed that in spite of having the same amount of food, my grandparents or parents, gained less weight than what I am gaining now. From my childhood my parents always kept advising me to chew my food well before swallowing. There were times, when I used to swallow almost half peanuts. Only after which I learnt I was wrong and started chewing as much as possible. However, right now I am unable to even spend enough time on eating. I rush uo to the office and do not find time to understand what I am eating! Probably that's why I have gained lot of weight in past 4 years.
@ryanong (9665)
• Vietnam
26 Jul 12
it is right. when your chew food longer you can know when you are full already and then stop eating. If you chew food so fast, we may eat much more food than normal and when we stop eating..we are too full already. One more chewing longer is very good for your stomach, it doesn't need to work hard as you eat food so fast
@fantabulus (4000)
• India
26 Aug 12
You are right chewing properly means helpful for health and loose weight. We should give some time for eating but spend more time for eating it means no other work for 1 hour.
@subhojit10 (7375)
• India
21 Jul 12
Yes i second your thought. Chewing food properly not only helps us in digestion but the juice that comes out from the food while chewing is very much essential for our body system.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
22 Jul 12
Chewing really affects digestion and maybe weight lose. Digestion begins in the mouth, when we chew our food or also called "mastication" we produce saliva right? this contains enzymes that mixes with food and starts digesting it specially the carbohydrates in it so when it goes to our stomach, the stomach will not be having a further more a hard time digesting the food. Do remember eating a candy? Well even though it is a solid food, it will decrease in size if it keeps on mixing with our saliva. Well maybe chewing our food more often help us in losing weight because we will be forced to eat less for we are spending more time chewing the food. Hope this helps, Good day and God Bless
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (137212)
• Philippines
25 Aug 12
Some people say, after having major course of meal. You need tp chew a gum, it can help in digesting the food. Try it, there is nothing wrong right?
@alllll (83)
• India
23 Jul 12
When you are chewing a gum,oxyzem circulation will be increase in your brain cell.For this your intelligency is more sharper. To beleave my talk,take a gum now and start to chewing it and try to feel that I write to you.
@alllll (83)
• India
23 Jul 12
But don't drink the red of chewing gum,it is no good for health
• Philippines
26 Jul 12
I agree. This is a definitely a good suggestion. I knew that chewing more would help you lose weight because according to my teacher who was a doctor as well, our brain doesn't immediately get the "feeling of fullness" signal from the stomach. So if you eat fast, you've already eaten beyond the normal or ideal consumption for you. I believe it aids in digestion because you get to break down the food into the smallest pieces possible decreasing the work load for your stomach. So have you already applied this habit?
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
22 Jul 12
When I told my sister about this post, she exclaimed, "Oh maybe that's why goats are leaner!" Thanks for sharing that reminder. I used to chew very slowly back when I was a kid and my relatives would tease me for being so thin. They equate quick chewing and eating as habits that would make me fat.
@TheScupp (102)
• Finland
22 Jul 12
This could really increase my healthy. I'm not anyway fat or something like that but I have had small problems with digestions sometimes...