Eating Slowly is Healthy

In this Article (Index)

• Eating Slowly
• Benefits of Slow Eating
• Slow eating reduces hunger and improves satiety
• Eating slowly increases energy burn
• The Risks of Eating Fast
• Eating Fast and Diabetes
• Eating fast is linked to obesity
• High levels of cholesterol in fast eaters
• Burping and gases
• How to eat slower

Eating slowly

The importance of chewing food thoroughly, which takes time and leads to slower eating, was noted by physicians in the past. Adequate mastication was promoted as a way to avoid digestive issues.

There is, perhaps, no person who has not some time or other been subjet to indigestion for want of having chewed sufficiently his food. Thornton, Robert John, 1768-1837; Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Philosophy of Medicine (1799)

This idea was prevalent through the 19th century; for example, Dr. T. Lauder Brunton wrote in 1885 about "disturbances in the digestive function...one of the commonest [causes] is imperfect mastication. This frequently arose from too short a time being alloted to a meal."

Horace Fletcher (1849–1919), a self-taught nutritionist and food and health faddist, propagated these ideas in the early 20th century, he was known as "the great masticator," as his "Fletcherism" doctrine taught that food should be thoroughly chewed. According to Fletcher, slowly chewing each morsel prevented overeating, avoided weight gain, and saved money spent on food.

As we will see in the next sections, these observations were accurate.

Benefits of Slow Eating

Slow eating reduces hunger and improves satiety

Thirty-five men and women were studied to observe the effect of eating speed on hunger and energy intake in normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals (3)

The normal-weight group that ate slower had a lower meal intake energy (less calories were ingested) in comparison to normal-weight fast eaters. They also reported less hunger and more fullness one hour after the meal began. However, the slow eaters in the overweight/obese group didn't ingest fewer calories than the fast eaters but they did report less hunger and fullness.

A random trial (4) involving 21 young healthy subjects who ate a meal either slowly (24 min), or fast (6 min) reported that slow eaters had a greater suppression of Ghrelin after their meal vs. fast eaters. Ghrelin is known as the "hunger hormone" and it promotes appetite, so slow eating reduces the feeling of hunger. This caused the slow eaters to consume 25% less energy from snacks in the 3 hours following their meal compared to fast eaters.

The slow eaters "reported feeling fuller from 30 min post-meal and persisted for the full study duration of three hours." Interestingly, those who ate faster reported that they enjoyed their meal more and were more satisfied by it than the slow eaters. The authors suggest that "this may explain in part why people consume more if they eat more quickly, as it is a more enjoyable activity."

Eating slowly increases energy burn

Eating slowly increases the energy burned by the body after a meal; this is known as "diet-induced thermogenesis". A randomized study (8) found that the duration of chewing "significantly increased diet-induced thermogenesis [and this] chewing and taste stimuli may help to prevent overweight and obesity."

The Risks of Eating Quickly

Compared to slow eating, eating fast has several downsides for your health.

Eating Fast and Diabetes

Saito et al., (2020) (1) conducted a randomized trial using 19 healthy women who ate the same meals but, did so a different speeds. Fast eaters, who ingested their meals in 10 minutes showed significantly higher glucose spikes measured by different parameters than slow eaters (those who took 20 minutes to eat their meals). The authors concluded that "fast eating is associated with higher glycemic excursion in healthy women."

Eating fast is linked to obesity

A Japanese study using data from over 4,700 men and women (2) reported that Body Mass Index or BMI decreased in the "slow" eating groups but increased in the "fast" eating ones, this effect was observed in both men and women. The authors concluded that "Our results among middle-aged men and women suggest that eating fast would lead to obesity."

High levels of cholesterol in fast eaters

Barrea et al. (2021) (5) studied 187 middle-aged individuals who were either fast or slow eaters. They found that the prevalence of dyslipidemia (high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides) which is linked to obesity, was twice as high among the fast eaters compared to the slow eating group; the study concluded that "fast eating increases ... the risk of developing dyslipidaemia in obesity."

A similar outcome was reported in a study (6) with 792 subjects suggesting that "those in the faster eating speed category were 59% more likely to have the hypertriglyceridemia component of the metabolic syndrome (MetS)." Hypertriglyceridemia is a high level of triglycerides in the blood, which is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

These effects were also reported by another study (7) that also found that the risk for metabolic syndrome was "significantly higher for participants with a fast eating speed," and that "eating speed was correlated with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia," the risk for obesity was almost twice that of slow eaters, and for hypertriglyceridemia, it was 78% higher.

Burping and gases

Flatulence and belching can result from eating too fast. Eating quickly can cause you to swallow excess air. The air causes bloating and abdominal pain as it moves through the gut. This is known as aerophagia, which combines the Greek words for "air" = aeros, and "eating" = phagia; ingesting air as you eat.

How to eat slower

Our modern lives are active and we have little free time for anything. We often catch a bite on the go, eat "fast" food, eat standing, or in our cars, or desks. And in doing so, we tend to eat fast, in a mechanical way.

Eating should be a moment of pleasure, calm, and a break in our activities. Mindful eating is one way to eat slower.
You should aim at taking at least 20 minutes to eat a meal.

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a simple practice that focuses on the process of eating turning it from a mechanical repetition, rote eating, into a focused activity.
It can boost your mental and physical health, minimize bloating, and soothe you.

• Eat when you are hungry. Recognize your body's signals. Should you eat? How hungry are you?
• Avoid between-meals snacks.
• Don't skip meals. Eat your four daily meals
• Give yourself time for your meal. At least 30 minutes for the whole process. Ideally 45 to 60 minutes.
• Sit down, at a table in your kitchen or dining room, and use a plate.
• While you are eating, reflect upon your satiety. Are you feeling satisfied? Have you already eaten enough?
• Slow down. Eating slowly will give your gut time to signal your brain that you have eaten enough and shouldn't eat anymore (roughly 20 minutes). It will also allow you to take time to enjoy the food as you eat it.
• Take small bites, and chew them well. Pause between bites. Sip some water as you eat.
• Put down your knife, fork, and spoon between bites.
• Reflect upon how this food was prepared, and where its ingredients came from. Be thankful.
• Eating is a sensory experience. Notice, the taste, textures, colors, and aroma of the food. Fine dining restaurants decorate their dishes like minimalist works of art combining color, shapes, and flavors. Do the same when you plate your meal.
• Eliminate external distractions. Don't read, look at your cell phone, or watch TV. This should be a moment dedicated to enjoying your meal.
• Quality meals. Eat a balanced and nourishing meal, with natural ingredients, and avoid processed foods. Include plant-based ingredients, fish, seeds, and healthy oils.