The Globe and Mail and Canada.com recently published articles about a Chinese study that looked at chewing and obesity. According to the articles, "people who chew their food more take in fewer calories, mainly because more chewing is related to the levels of hormones that regulate appetite. Chewing food 40 times instead of a typical 15 times caused the study participants to eat nearly 12 percent fewer calories, the study -- published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition -- said. More chewing was associated with lower blood levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, as well as higher levels of CCK, a hormone believed to reduce appetite."
The study was small and done on young men, so it is hard to know how it translates to other groups. Eating faster, and chewing less may be associated with obesity, but further research is needed as studies have shown conflicting results.
The hormones identified by the study may be keys to obesity in the future, but for now, slow down, and enjoy your food.
Steph Wheler, RD
www.nutrishus.com
