The Benefits of Chewing Slowly
Introduction: Do you wolf down your food or do you chew it slowly? In fact, there are many benefits to eating slowly. In today's fast-paced society, for the sake of health and wellness, it's a good idea to slow down your eating habits.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also has many discussions on the health benefits of chewing slowly. For example, "Qian Jin Yao Fang" states: "Food should be chewed until it is well-cooked." "Yang Sheng Yong Yan" says: "Whether it's porridge, rice, or a snack, it should be chewed very finely before swallowing." "Qian Jin Yi Fang" advocates "no big talk during meals," suggesting focusing on chewing carefully to aid digestion. TCM has a saying that "the spleen opens to the mouth," indicating that thorough digestion of food in the mouth is very beneficial for strengthening the spleen and stomach, which is also highly consistent with the perspective of modern medicine. For the elderly, due to worn teeth, diminished sense of taste, and reduced digestive secretions, it is even more important to eat and drink slowly to compensate for the decline in digestive function. They must not "gobble things down."
Let's look at the specific benefits of chewing slowly.
1. Reduce Gastrointestinal Damage
Wolfing down food can easily lead to indigestion,加重 the burden on the stomach and intestines, and slow down intestinal peristalsis. Over time, this can easily cause various intestinal diseases due to poor digestion. Eating slowly allows food to be better digested and absorbed, preventing it from staying in the intestines and causing blockages.
2. Avoid Overeating
Eating slowly can effectively reduce food intake and prevent overeating, which can lead to intestinal diseases. People only eat when they are hungry, which is when their appetite is at its peak. To prevent overeating from burdening the digestive system, eating slowly is the best method because the brain's nerves typically take about 15-20 minutes to receive the signal of fullness.
3. Control Weight
Eating slowly not only helps avoid overeating but also has the amazing effect of controlling weight. Don't be surprised! Because a person's food intake is reduced, fat is less likely to accumulate, and body weight consequently decreases.
4. Aid Digestion
As we all know, food enters the esophagus through the mouth. The process of chewing food in the mouth allows it to mix with saliva to produce salivary amylase. This substance is precisely the main driving force for promoting digestion. If you eat too quickly, it can easily slow down your metabolism, and vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients in the food cannot be fully absorbed, leading to significant nutrient loss.
5. Pay More Attention to Food Quality
People who eat quickly often don't care about the taste of the food, thinking that as long as they can fill their stomachs, it's fine. In contrast, people who eat slowly know how to be selective, choosing foods with high nutritional value as their delicious meals. They not only enjoy the taste and pleasure of the food but also maintain nutrition and health, achieving two goals at once. What's not to like?
6. Prevent Heartburn and Gastroesophageal Reflux
Fast eating can easily lead to acid reflux or heartburn. The reason is that eating too quickly largely affects the digestion of food in the gastrointestinal tract. When a large amount of food cannot be fully digested, the above symptoms will appear. This not only severely damages gastrointestinal health but, over time, can also induce more diseases, causing more harm than good.
In addition, slow chewing and patient savoring are also beneficial for cancer prevention and fitness. Gently tapping the teeth can increase saliva secretion, which TCM calls "golden liquid and jade nectar," and is beneficial for longevity. Eating slowly can lower the temperature of food, preventing it from scalding the esophagus and oral mucosa, and thus preventing malignant changes caused by repeated burns and hyperplasia. The movement of the mouth is commanded by the brain, which in turn continuously stimulates the brain, enhancing the function of the cerebral cortex. Chewing exercises many muscles in the face, mouth, and pharynx, which is beneficial for beauty. Patients with liver cirrhosis are prone to esophageal varices. If food is not chewed finely, rough food can easily scratch the blood vessels, causing major bleeding. For patients undergoing esophageal radiotherapy or those with chronic esophageal and gastrointestinal diseases, it is essential to develop the good habit of chewing slowly.