Eating healthy is the foundation of good health. However, the way you eat is as important as the foods you add to your diet. Taking time while eating, which means eating slowly and chewing thoroughly, can have a significant impact on digestion and gut health.
Food speed has a significant impact on overall gut health. Eating too quickly can imbalance many physiological mechanisms to optimize the digestive process.
The digestion begins in the mouth, where the enzyme begins to break down carbohydrates. Therefore, if you eat quickly and do not chew thoroughly, the food can get into large pieces.
gut bacteria will work harder to break down carbohydrates that are not broken down in time, leading to overproduction of gas. Therefore, the more you chew, the better the activity of the enzymes and your nutrient absorption.
If you do not chew food thoroughly, this can overload the lower esophageal lining muscles. The esophagus is a valve that prevents stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus.
That is, eating quickly increases the risk of acid reflux and heartburn. Eating too quickly can also cause excessive gastrointestinal reflux. This can lead to diarrhea.
Eating too quickly prevents hormones like cholecystokinin, GIP, and GLP-1 - which give your brain enough time to signal when you are full. This can lead to overeating.
Smaller, slower meals help avoid stomach pain by regulating the stomach and intestinal reflex. The body needs time to secrete essential digestive fluids such as bioavales and enzymes. If food is consumed too quickly, the body does not have enough time to release these substances, leading to incomplete digestion and poor absorption of nutrients.