We are studying an interesting research that answers whether we should chew our food slowly after all. Read on for more.

Slow chewing and its benefits
Eating slowly has been associated with feeling fuller after a meal and with a better response of the hormones that control hunger and satiety—that is, whether we're hungry or full. Specifically, as our body enters the postprandial phase, ghrelin, or the "hunger hormone," decreases, so we gradually stop feeling hungry. Conversely, cholecystokinin (CCK), neuropeptide Y, and GLP-1, which are anorexigenic hormones (i.e., they suppress appetite), increase. This makes us feel full.

Chewing slowly helps with weight loss, as it improves the release of the hormones mentioned above, helping us feel full. On the contrary, eating quickly has been associated with reduced hunger satisfaction, high body weight, and insulin resistance.

How the slow chewing study in people with diabetes was designed
The study volunteers were 20 overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. They underwent a test in which they ate 300 mL of ice cream in random order on two different sessions. For each participant, the duration of the meal was either 5 minutes or 30 minutes. After this procedure, researchers measured hunger, satiety (i.e., how full the volunteers were), glucose, insulin, and key appetite hormones.

The results of the slow chewing study in people with diabetes
The study showed that slow chewing increased fullness and reduced hunger in participants with type 2 diabetes but did not improve the levels of other hormones, as has been observed in healthy individuals. Thus, this simple change in eating behavior can be very useful for reducing the energy intake of overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes, in the context of weight management.

Finally, we can understand the following:

• In healthy individuals, slow chewing of food leads to decreased hunger and better satiety, while positively affecting the secretion of appetite hormones. In short, slow chewing is recommended for all healthy individuals.
• In people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes, slow chewing of food decreases hunger and improves satiety. However, the hormonal benefits are not as evident. Nevertheless, people with type 2 diabetes should still chew their food slowly.

Ways to chew more slowly
You had probably heard that slow chewing helps you feel full with less food. Now that you've read this article, you understand the mechanisms through which this happens. You can be confident that chewing slowly benefits your body's hunger, satiety, and appetite hormones. To start practicing slow chewing, try the following:

• First, familiarize yourself with the concept of mindful eating—how to eat consciously, recognize what you are eating, and stop when you're full—by reading the article Mindful and Intuitive Eating.
• Take the 10 ideas for practicing mindful eating and start implementing them throughout the week. These ideas will help you focus on your food more and, consequently, chew more slowly.
• When you take a bite, put your fork down on the edge of your plate, chew thoroughly (at least 30 times), swallow, and only then pick up the fork again to eat another bite.
• Avoid screens and distractions while eating.
• Try an exercise for slow chewing and mindful eating, which you can find in the last paragraph of my article on gazzetta.gr (only Greek version available).

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Angelopoulos T, Kokkinos A, Liaskos C, Tentolouris N, Alexiadou K, Miras AD, et al. The effect of slow spaced eating on hunger and satiety in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2014;2(1).