Is Chewing 20 Times Good? The Truth About Mindful Mastication

While some experts suggest chewing each bite 32 times, a different study highlights that chewing just 20 times is also beneficial for health. So, is chewing 20 times good for your health? This practice can significantly improve digestion, nutrient absorption, and weight control by slowing down your eating pace.

Quick Summary

Chewing food 20-30 times per bite is a widely recommended practice, beneficial for digestion, weight management, and nutrient absorption. It aids the initial breakdown of food with saliva and signals fullness to the brain, which helps prevent overeating and promotes better gut health.

Key Points

• No Magic Number: While 20-30 chews is a good guideline, the optimal number depends on the food's texture, aiming for a soft consistency before swallowing.

• Improved Digestion: Proper chewing breaks down food for easier processing, reducing strain on your stomach and minimizing gas, bloating, and indigestion.

• Better Nutrient Absorption: Thorough chewing increases the surface area of food, allowing your body to extract and absorb more vitamins and minerals.

• Aids Weight Management: Chewing slowly gives your brain time to signal fullness, preventing overeating and helping control calorie intake.

• Increased Satiety: Longer chewing is associated with increased levels of gut hormones that promote feelings of fullness.

• Mindful Eating: Focusing on chewing helps you slow down and savor your meal, enhancing the enjoyment and developing a healthier relationship with food.

• Promotes Oral Health: The extra saliva produced during proper chewing helps protect teeth against decay and washes away food particles.

• Prevents Gut Issues: Consistently swallowing large food chunks can lead to bacterial overgrowth and chronic gut problems.

The Digestive Benefits of Chewing Properly

Digestion doesn't begin in the stomach, but right in your mouth. Chewing, or mastication, is the first critical step in breaking down food into smaller, more manageable pieces. This mechanical action, combined with the chemical breakdown initiated by salivary enzymes like amylase, prepares food for the rest of its journey through the digestive tract. When you chew food properly, it reduces the workload on your esophagus and stomach, making the entire process smoother and more efficient.

How Proper Chewing Improves Digestion

• Enhances Nutrient Absorption: Smaller food particles have a larger surface area, allowing digestive enzymes to work more effectively. This leads to better and faster absorption of vitamins and minerals in the small intestine.
• Reduces Digestive Discomfort: Swallowing large chunks of food forces the stomach to overwork, which can lead to common issues like gas, bloating, indigestion, and heartburn. Thorough chewing minimizes this strain.
• Stimulates Saliva Production: Increased saliva production lubricates food for easier swallowing and ensures the mix with enzymes is thorough. Saliva also has natural antimicrobial properties that benefit oral health.

The Role of Chewing in Weight Management

Eating more slowly by chewing longer has been repeatedly linked to healthy weight management. It is not about counting each bite, but rather about promoting mindful eating habits that benefit your waistline and overall well-being.

Chewing and Satiety

It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to receive signals from your stomach that you are full. Fast eating often means consuming more calories than necessary before the brain can register satiety. By chewing more, you naturally slow down, giving your brain and gut time to communicate effectively, which helps prevent overeating. Studies have shown that people who chew longer consume fewer calories during a meal compared to those who chew less. Some research indicates that prolonged chewing can increase levels of satiety-related gut hormones and decrease ghrelin, the hunger hormone.

Mindful Eating Through Chewing

Adopting a mindful eating approach means paying attention to the textures, flavors, and smells of your food. Thorough chewing enhances this sensory experience, leading to greater satisfaction from your meals. This shift in focus from rushing to savoring can lead to a healthier, more intuitive relationship with food, reducing the urge to overindulge. Putting your utensils down between bites is a simple but powerful technique to encourage this practice.

Consequences of Poor Chewing

When you consistently fail to chew your food adequately, your digestive system pays the price. The effects can range from mild discomfort to more serious health issues over time.

Poor Chewing Leads to Digestive Issues

• Malabsorption: If food is not broken down sufficiently, your body cannot efficiently extract and absorb vital nutrients, potentially leading to deficiencies.
• Bacterial Overgrowth: Large, undigested food particles can ferment in the intestines, feeding harmful bacteria and causing gas, bloating, and other gut health issues.
• Increased Risk of Illness: The antimicrobial agents in saliva are not fully utilized without proper chewing, potentially leaving you more vulnerable to foodborne pathogens.

Comparison of Chewing Habits

Aspect	Thorough Chewing (e.g., 20+ times)	Rapid Chewing (e.g., <10 times)
Digestion	Pre-digests food with enzymes, reduces stomach workload.	Increases strain on stomach, poor initial breakdown.
Nutrient Absorption	Maximize nutrient extraction due to smaller particle size.	Poor absorption, potential for nutritional deficiencies.
Satiety & Weight	Slower eating pace allows brain to signal fullness, leading to less food consumption.	Brain doesn't register fullness quickly, promoting overeating and potential weight gain.
Digestive Symptoms	Minimizes bloating, gas, heartburn, and reflux.	Increases risk of bloating, gas, indigestion, and reflux.
Oral Health	Stimulates saliva flow, which helps protect teeth and gums.	Decreased saliva production, potentially leading to dental issues.
Eating Experience	Mindful, satisfying, and enjoyable; flavors are fully appreciated.	Distracted, rushed, and less satisfying; enjoyment is limited.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict on Chewing 20 Times

Ultimately, the idea of a single "magic number" for chewing, whether it's 20, 32, or 40, is less important than the principle behind it. The goal is not to count every single chew, but to chew your food until it loses its texture and becomes a soft, almost liquid consistency. For softer foods, this may take fewer chews, while tougher, more fibrous foods may require more. Using the "20-to-30-chews-per-bite" guideline is an excellent starting point to develop mindful chewing habits.

By focusing on chewing thoroughly, you naturally slow down your eating, allow your digestive system to function optimally, and give your brain the time it needs to recognize when you are full. This simple but powerful habit can lead to improved digestion, better nutrient absorption, more effective weight management, and a deeper appreciation for your food. Your parents were right all along: chew your food.

References

: This reference is for a dental site explaining the benefits of chewing for digestion and nutrient absorption.: This reference provides details on chewing frequency and weight management benefits.: This source is from ScienceDirect discussing the effects of chewing on appetite and gut hormones.: This reference from Healthline lists the consequences of not chewing enough.: This reference discusses the consequences of poor chewing on NDTV.: This reference from Healthline describes the digestive process starting in the mouth with chewing.: This Zoe reference discusses how the ideal number of chews varies based on food texture.: This BreatheWorks reference provides tips for better chewing, including aiming for 20-30 chews per bite.: This Healthline article details how eating slowly can help with weight loss.: This Colgate article explains how chewing promotes saliva production.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it bad to chew food only 10 times?

Chewing your food only 10 times may be insufficient, especially for tougher foods. This can lead to larger food particles entering the stomach, which can cause poor digestion, bloating, and inefficient nutrient absorption.

How does chewing more help with weight loss?

Chewing more forces you to eat slower. This gives your brain the necessary 20 minutes to receive satiety signals from your gut, preventing you from overeating and helping you feel full on fewer calories.

What happens to your stomach if you don't chew properly?

If you don't chew properly, your stomach has to work harder to break down larger food pieces. This can result in digestive discomforts like acid reflux, heartburn, and bloating, as well as poor nutrient extraction.

Does chewing food for a long time make you full?

Yes, chewing food for a longer duration, and therefore eating slower, has been shown to increase feelings of fullness and reduce food intake during a meal. It also influences gut hormones related to satiety.

Does chewing affect nutrient absorption?

Yes, chewing significantly affects nutrient absorption. By breaking down food into smaller particles, chewing allows digestive enzymes and the intestinal lining to absorb more vitamins, minerals, and proteins efficiently.

Is there a universal 'right' number of times to chew?

No, there is no one-size-fits-all number. While 20-30 chews is a common recommendation, the true indicator is chewing until the food loses its texture and becomes almost liquid. Soft foods require less chewing than hard or fibrous foods.

What are some tips to start chewing more consciously?

To chew more consciously, you can start by taking smaller bites, putting your utensils down between each bite, and focusing on the textures and flavors of your food. Avoiding distractions like phones or TV during meals can also help.