Can chewing more help you eat less?

Posted On August 3, 2011

You mean … like a cow working her cud?

A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who chew 40 times instead of a typical 15 times led to fewer calories consumed (by 12% — which would lead to weight loss of ~ 25 pounds for the average person).

Plus, more chewing = lower blood levels of hormones that boost appetite (ghrelin) and an increase in others that signal fullness (CCK). Less hunger, more fullness … well, there go your calories.

Here’s Where It Gets Weird

The authors then said that these hormones may “represent useful targets for future obesity therapies,” according to co-author Shuran Wang, because regulating their levels may help people control their appetite.

I get that these folks want to patent a miracle drug that pharmaceutical companies can buy from them. But what if these hormonal changes are not CAUSES of the changes, but the EFFECTS of a behavioral change? Doesn’t that seem like the more reasonable, rationale, albeit less lucrative solution?

Is It The Chewing? Really?

No, of course not. This bovine behavior is not likely the magic key to battle your bulge. It is more likely to be the fact that, when you chew more, you take more time with your food. When you take more time with your food, you allow your brain to “get the message” that you’re full before you overrun that signal by inhaling your food.

I think we need to develop a drug for enjoying your food, and another drug for returning to the family table, and another drug for slowing down when you eat.

SOURCE: bit.ly/mTVbpm American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Can chewing more help you eat less? | Reuters

For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website.