There is also some science to support the theory that the way you chew your food could also contribute toward calorie burn. One study that looked into this was a 2014 study published in the journal Obesity. Fewer chews and shorter meal times were linked with reduced diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), otherwise known as an increase in metabolic rate in your body after you’ve consumed food. A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports had similar results.
Professor Naoyuki Hayashi from Waseda University, Japan, who co-led the 2021 study shared (via Science Daily), “We found DIT or energy production increased after consuming a meal, and it increased with the duration of each taste stimulation and the duration of chewing.” Taking the time to properly chew you food could promote weight loss by preventing metabolic syndrome, added the researchers. Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of health risks related to cardiovascular disease — like obesity and hypertension (via Johns Hopkins Medicine).
Since science has so much to say about mindful eating, how can someone who’s prone to eating too fast change their habits? It might look simple on the outset, but changing the way you eat is going to take some trial and error but at least you’re more likely to lose weight (if that’s a goal for you). Here are some tips.