Whenever we sit for food, our parents always insist that we eat slowly. But, have you ever thought what would be the reason for it? Well, there are several reasons and health benefits of eating slowly.
Also a new study, has found that eating quickly can increase the risk of becoming obese or developing metabolic syndrome. The study further suggests that you must eat slowly to promote overall health and well-being because the quicker you eat, the more likely are you to overeat.
Moreover, eating quickly may cause sudden and frequent fluctuations in your blood sugar levels that may lead to insulin resistance.
The study was conducted by a team of scientists from the Hiroshima University in Japan. For the study the researchers had taken into consideration 642 men and 441 women with an average age of 51.2 years. None of them had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study back in 2008.
For the purpose of the study the participants were divided into three categories based on their usual eating speed: slow, normal or fast. During the five year study the researchers found that fast eaters were more likely (11.6 per cent) to have developed metabolic syndrome than those who ate at a normal speed.(6.5 per cent) and slow eaters (2.3 per cent).
Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of health issues or conditions that may lead to diabetes, obesity or heart disease. The team concluded that eating fast is linked to factors such as unhealthy weight gain, high blood pressure and unstable levels of blood glucose.
According to the study, when you take time to chew and swallow it properly it gives your brain time to process the feeling of fullness which may signal you to stop eating earlier and prevent binge eating.
When people eat at a fast pace, the brain may not be able to process the feelings of fullness and therefore you may be left unsatisfied which leads to overeating even when you are not hungry anymore.
The study was presented recently at the America Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2017.
Also check out the reasons why we need to eat slowly. Take a look.
1. Appetite Reduction:
Eating slowly helps in reducing the appetite. It takes the brain about 15-20 minutes to signal that you are feeling full. This way you end up in eating less and you appetite automatically reduces.
2. Better Digestion:
When you chew your foods properly, it gets easily digested. When you eat quickly you end up swallowing the whole food. This ways the important vitamins, minerals, and amino acids fail to get absorbed by the body. When you eat slowly, the foods gets metabolized efficiently and quickly.
3. Weight Control:
When you eat slowly and chew properly you end up eating less. This helps in controlling your portion size and helps in controlling your body weight as well.
4. Prevents Heartburn:
When you eat quickly, you end up swallowing the food without chewing properly. This will cause severe heartburn and acidity as the food fails to get digested properly.
(With Agency Inputs)