The fast pace of urban life often leads us to rush through everything, including our meals. However, the harm caused by eating too quickly is severe and must be avoided. The best practice is to chew slowly and thoroughly. Below is a summary of the dangers associated with eating too quickly.
The Disadvantages of Eating Too Quickly
Increased Blood Sugar and Risk of Diabetes. When food enters the body, blood sugar levels rise. Once they reach a certain point, the brain's appetite center sends a signal to stop eating. If you eat too quickly, by the time your brain sends this signal, you have likely already consumed too much food, leading to excessively high post-meal blood sugar. The speed at which blood sugar rises when you finish your main course too quickly is easy to imagine, as is the immense pressure on insulin. This is certainly very bad for preventing diabetes.
Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases. Refined, soft starchy foods, eaten quickly, cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and place immense strain on the insulin system. This is, of course, detrimental for diabetes prevention. A diet of refined starches combined with meat makes controlling blood lipids more difficult. Without sufficient exercise, people over 35 become highly susceptible to fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.
Can Lead to Obesity. Eating too quickly often leads to unconsciously consuming a large amount of food, especially when watching TV or using a phone during meals. This can easily result in overeating and obesity. For many overweight individuals, the root cause of their condition is their eating speed. Therefore, if you want to maintain a slim figure, it is crucial to cultivate the good habit of chewing slowly to avoid obesity caused by eating too quickly. After all, the brain's satiety center takes time to register fullness. The mouth and stomach produce certain small molecules that help regulate food intake. Eating too quickly interferes with the production of these molecules, leading to continuous eating, exceeding your body's needs, and causing obesity.
Easy to Overeat. The brain's satiety center needs time to perceive the feeling of fullness. The small molecules produced by digestion in the mouth and stomach are vital for controlling appetite. Therefore, when you eat too quickly, the amount of food consumed is not controlled by the brain but only by the stomach's mechanical receptors. However, with refined, soft foods, by the time you feel full in your stomach, you have already eaten far more than your body requires.
Increased Cancer Risk. Chewing food is not without purpose; the thorough mixing with saliva can neutralize many harmful substances. Skipping this step will inevitably increase the risk of carcinogens taking effect. Furthermore, a diet of refined, soft foods lacks dietary fiber, which helps expel carcinogens, and also lacks antioxidants, which are essential for cancer prevention. Over time, this naturally increases your risk of cancer compared to others.
Can Cause Digestive Diseases. Eating too quickly can affect your stomach and intestines. Over time, this can lead to digestive tract diseases. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to your eating speed to avoid causing such problems.
Conversely, what are the benefits of chewing slowly and thoroughly?
The Benefits of Chewing Slowly
A Protective Shield for Your Stomach. Traditional Chinese health practices emphasize "ant-like" eating habits—drinking little, eating in small amounts, and chewing slowly. This method promotes gastric juice secretion, grinds food finer for easier digestion and absorption, and reduces the burden on the digestive system. Chewing thoroughly also increases saliva, which contains digestive enzymes and can form a protective film for the stomach. Director Liu Haifeng, head of the gastroenterology department at the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force, says that elderly people, with loose teeth, declining digestive function, reduced secretion of digestive fluids, and weakened intestinal motility, should especially chew their food slowly.
Helps Relieve Stress. This benefit is similar to the stress-relieving effect of chewing gum. Focusing on the slow process of chewing and savoring each bite of food can help calm your mind and body more quickly.
Protects Your Jawbone and Gums. Insufficient chewing can lead to the degeneration of the jawbone, making the alveolar bone fragile. Thorough and frequent chewing can exercise the jaw muscles and promote alveolar health. Liu Min also notes that more chewing can promote blood circulation in the gums.
Makes You Smarter. The action of chewing requires moving the upper and lower jaws, which can increase the oxygen supply to the brain, thereby activating brain cells and improving judgment, concentration, and memory.
It is clear from this that you should always chew your food slowly and thoroughly.