We probably all know someone who just seems to inhale their food - 5 minutes, and their plate is empty.
And although it sometimes feels satisfying to eat fast when you're really hungry, it's actually not very healthy, and can cause several problems!
It can cause digestion problems or acid reflux
People who eat quickly usually don't chew their food thoroughly.
So the food doesn't get broken down by saliva and enzymes, it isn't prepared for digestion well enough and can therefore cause discomfort or other digestion problems.
It can increase the risk for acid reflux up to 50%, because your digestive tract is being filled with more food than it can actually handle.
Also, you tend to swallow more air when eating quickly, which can also lead to discomfort or bloating.
You can't really taste it
We all know that our tongue can only taste five flavors (or six, if you count umami), but the combination with the smell actually offers a lot more varieties.
Everybody who has ever tried to eat food with a stuffy nose knows that you don't really taste much without your nose!
So when we inhale through the nose during a meal, a so-called air curtain is being created, which hinders airborne molecules from entering the lungs by keeping them at the back of the throat.
And upon exhaling, the volatile food molecules which are trapped at the back of our throat are pushed upwards into the nasal cavities, where we can then experience the smell with the flavour.
And when we eat fast, the air curtain can't even form, so the volatiles don't stay at the back of your throat and you don't smell and taste simultaneously.
It makes you eat more (and gain more weight)
Our stomach is equipped with muscles and mucosa which send information about the food, its volume, and how much our stomach is stretched to the brain.
When our stomach is empty, a hormone called ghrelin is being released, which increases our appetite.
And if we start eating, the stomach begins to stretch and signals our brain to stop the release of ghrelin and start the digestion process.
As the food moves to the intestine and the digestion begins, the hormone PYY is being released (along with lots of other chemical reactions that take place) which signalizes the brain to stop eating.
It takes about 20 minutes from the beginning of your meal until those signals are being sent to your brain - so if you eat too fast, your brain will receive these signals too late - you continue to eat without realizing that you're already full and don't need more food.
This way, you eat more than needed and probably intake significantly more calories too (depending on the dish).
How can you eat slower?
Obviously, getting out of the habit after being a fast eater your whole life is not easy, but there can be lots of tips found on the internet on how to slow down your eating habits.
Some examples include:
- Putting down your utensils after each bite
- Try to concentrate on chewing each bite thoroughly
- Wait with yuor dessert: Don't order dessert right away if you're at a restaurant, and wait at least 15 minutes before taking out the dessert if you're at home.
- If you're eating with company, try to adapt to the speed of a slow eater.
- Try starting off with a small serving (preferrably even on a small plate) and wait after you've finished - if you're hungry of course you can have a second serving, but this can help realising that you might be already satisfied.
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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