The Science of Chewing

Hello, and welcome to lesson 8 of Mindful Eating. Today, we're going to be talking about chewing. How often do you think about chewing? Probably not that often. Chewing is one of the most overlooked parts of the eating process but is actually one of the most beneficial, helping with digestion and increasing enjoyment. The physical act of chewing begins the process we call mechanical digestion. Chewing breaks down your food into smaller pieces so your digestive enzymes can handle them more easily. This breakdown process allows your body to absorb nutrients and energy from your food. Chewing properly not only makes digestion easier for your body, it can decrease acid reflux, bloating, heartburn, and malnutrition. Remember, your belly doesn't have teeth, so chewing needs to happen in your mouth. The sense of taste is also activated when you chew. This helps the body identify essential nutrients as well as potentially harmful elements and process them accordingly. When you chew your food really thoroughly, you actually break it down better so your body will need less to feel satisfied. In fact, one study compared the difference between chewing 35 times and chewing 10 times per mouthful and found that chewing more reduced overall food intake. Another study found that people who chewed their food 40 times as compared to 15 times ate less, had lower levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and higher levels of the hormone leptin, which reduces appetite. Finally, a favorite benefit of chewing thoroughly is that it helps us slow down and savor. A nice side effect of chewing each bite well is that you give yourself time to really pay attention to the sensations that make eating pleasurable....