If food is not chewed properly larger particles enter the digestive tract causing digestive problems such as gas, bloating, constipation, food reactions, headaches and lowered energy levels. As you chew your food more digestive enzymes are produced. These help to breakdown food further to assist digestion.
The process of chewing also triggers the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, this further aids digestion, by regulating the pH to increase acidity levels assisting with food breakdown. Breaking down food into smaller particles means that it is easier for your body to absorb a greater amount of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals from the food you are eating.
The more you chew your food, the longer it will take to finish your meal. In general it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that it is full. Therefore if you are eating slower, it is less likely that you will over-eat. Chewing increases production of saliva which contains epithelial growth factor EGF , a polypeptide that stimulates growth and repair of epithelial tissue.
Thoroughly chewing your food increases production of this EGF, nourishing the gut. Food particles that are not properly broken down can cause bacterial overgrowth and increased fermentation in the gut, leading to conditions such as indigestion, bloating, increased gas and constipation.
So how many times should you chew your food for adequate digestion? It is important for children to acquire the habit of chewing thoroughly from a young age. Since the period from infancy to the age of school-age is important for children to develop masticatory functions, and they need home instruction. It is recommended that chewy foods be included in meals or snacks. The solution could be far simpler than you can imagine: chewing your food 32 times every bite.
In our busy society, too many individuals rush through meals, skip chewing their food, or simply wash down what they put in their mouth with a variety of liquids. Such food practices lead to serious digestive issues and consistent overeating because the body is not getting any nutrition from the poorly chewed food.
This can be all accomplished by simply chewing your food! When one thinks about what makes up the human digestive system , one typically visualizes the stomach and the intestinal tract only.
This leads many to believe that digestion starts in the stomach. However, what this common perception is missing is the actual starting point for the entire digestive process: the mouth. The physical act of digesting food starts in your mouth, not in the stomach. This is perhaps one of the most critical reasons why you need to chew your food an appropriate amount of times. It sets up the entire digestive process for success by allowing nutrients in food to actually be utilized by the body for its natural processes.
When it comes to the actual act of chewing, your teeth, tongue, and salivary glands all play critical roles that set up the digestive process. Your teeth grind down consumed food into more manageable and smaller bites, your salivary glands secrete various enzymes on the food to aid in absorption, and your tongue manipulates the food in your mouth to get it finely chewed before it enters the stomach. The results? Nothing crazy life-changing, but I was a bit less gassy and a bit more regular and less, well, urgent than usual.
I also didn't feel the need to mindlessly munch quite as much since it was no longer a mindless activity , and my days felt surprisingly more productive when I gave my brain a bit of a break.
While I'm not sure that I'll continue to chew each bite of food 30 times counting sucks the joy out of eating for me , the results were substantial enough to prove that chewing is an essential component of digestion—not just a necessary step to funnel food down the gullet.
So, yes, I plan to do my best to chew each bite of food completely. And when I feel like I can't? There are always smoothies and digestive enzymes. You are now subscribed Be on the lookout for a welcome email in your inbox! Main Navigation. Log in Profile. Saved Articles. Contact Support. Log Out. Your cart is empty. Our online classes and training programs allow you to learn from experts from anywhere in the world.
Explore Classes. Stephanie Eckelkamp is a writer and editor who has been working for leading health publications for the past 10 years. She received her B. Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page.
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