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Forget about dieting, chew your food for longer periods of time
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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If right after the New Year holidays you are planning to go on a diet and only gnaw on carrots, reproaching yourself for not being able to resist and having a feast for your stomach, then do not despair and do not rush to fill the refrigerator with low-fat cottage cheese and buy diet bread.
A new study by scientists shows that you can lose weight without much effort, the main thing is to chew your food thoroughly. Namely, chew each piece for at least 30 seconds.
In addition, this method will help moderate your appetite and curb the desire to eat sweets. By the way, you can chew your food thoroughly during holidays, when the tables are bursting with all sorts of goodies. This way you can control your satiety and protect yourself from overeating.
Psychologists from the University of Birmingham conducted a study in which volunteers chewed their food thoroughly. As it turned out, they were able to eat only half of their portions, unlike those who did not bother and chewed their food less thoroughly.
Experts note that this way of consuming food also affects snacking habits throughout the day.
The traditional British Christmas table "pulls" about a thousand calories. Roast turkey, sausages, mince wrapped in bacon, vegetables, bread and various sauces are usually served for the holiday.
But a festive dinner is not complete without a sweet table, so you can safely add another 3,500-4,000 calories to a thousand calories. For dessert, Christmas cake, pudding, cheese, cookies, chocolate and candies are served.
It is important to remember that the daily calorie intake is 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women. Holidays, of course, relax both of them and this often leads to overeating.
Read also: The brain is to blame for overeating
Experts were interested to find out how thoroughly chewing food can influence the habit of snacking after lunch and throughout the day.
To do this, they asked 43 people participating in the study to refrain from eating for two hours before the experiment.
Each subject was served equal-sized portions of smoked ham and cheese.
The first group of volunteers ate as usual, without changing their habits, the second group, after swallowing food, paused for ten seconds before the next portion of food, and the third group, before swallowing, chewed each piece for at least 30 seconds.
Two hours after the experiment, all participants were offered fruit-flavored chewing candies and chocolate-covered candies.
While the participants were enjoying the sweets, they were asked to rate their appetite and the pleasure they received from eating.
The results showed that those who ate at a normal speed and those who took ten-second breaks ate the same amount of sweets. But those participants who had to chew each piece thoroughly ate half as many candies.
Participants from the third group reported that lunch did not bring them the expected pleasure. Scientists attribute this to the novelty of sensations and the long process of chewing, which can reduce the taste of food. However, this way of eating allows you to avoid snacking during the day, which does not always consist of healthy food.
Well, in general, it’s not that difficult, if you concentrate on what you eat, you can reduce the amount of food you consume, and thus save yourself from gaining extra pounds.