Is there a certain number of times I should chew my food?

Some sources claim that chewing food 32 times before swallowing is best, but there’s no research to support this. 

Different food needs different amounts of chewing. For example, you’d chew a strawberry less than an almond. 

Scientists have investigated whether the speed at which we eat influences our health. They refer to this speed as your eating rate.

Research suggests that a faster eating rate can lead to increased energy intake, which may be associated with weight gain. 

Below, we take a closer look at how much chewing you should be doing, the factors that influence this, and how chewing benefits us. 

We also dive deep into the latest research on eating rates and how chewing kicks off the digestive process.

How many times should you chew?

Some sources have 32 bites per mouthful as a magic number, but this isn’t backed by science.

The right amount of chewing depends on your food’s texture. If you’ve got a tough piece of meat, for example, you may need to chew it more than 32 times.

Bite size plays into the speed of eating and how your body processes your food. Because of all of these variables, it’s hard to land on the ideal number of chews per mouthful of food.

Instead, focus on the texture of the food in your mouth, and swallow when it becomes soft. 

What’s eating rate?

Your eating rate is how fast you eat.

Scientists measure eating rate by looking at the amount of grams or calories we consume per minute. A slower eating rate involves consuming fewer grams or calories in 1 minute.

Many factors can influence your eating rate, including:

• how many times you chew

• the texture of your food

• the time you take between bites 

At ZOE, we run the largest nutrition science study in the world. Our research suggests that your eating rate may influence your health in several ways.

Having a high energy intake can lead to weight gain over time. So, we propose that eating slowly may be an effective way to control your energy intake.

Meanwhile, an observational study from the Netherlands found that people with faster eating rates tended to have higher overall body mass index scores than people with slower eating rates.

Similarly, a meta-analysis concluded that a slower eating rate may reduce your overall energy intake while keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

What’s more, three studies within this meta-analysis suggest that increasing the number of chews per bite of food increases levels of gut hormones that make you feel full.

Finally, another study looked at the eating rates of 33 people with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The participants with slower eating rates had higher insulin levels 45–60 minutes after eating.

In the short term, higher insulin levels can help you get glucose from your bloodstream into the cells that need it more quickly.

The researchers suggest that chewing food for longer could help you control your blood sugar levels more easily.

If you want to learn more, watch or listen to the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast episode on eating rates. 

Benefits of chewing more

Initial research suggests that chewing more may reduce how hungry we feel and how much we eat.

This could be because it influences our appetite-regulating gut hormones.

With that said, chewing is just one factor at work: Bite size, number of bites, food texture, and the properties of the food all play a role, too.

This is important because fat is stored within these cells. So, if they’re not broken down, your body can’t absorb the fat, and it passes out in your poop.

This means that you’ll absorb less fat from whole almonds than, for example, almond paste. The cells of the almonds in this paste are broken down during manufacturing.

How chewing works

While your teeth are biting or grinding, your mouth secretes saliva to soften your food. Your salivary glands produce an enzyme called amylase, which breaks down starch in your mouth.

Once food loses its texture, it’s called a “bolus.” This enters your esophagus and moves down into your gut.

Again, there’s no magic number of chews that turns food into a bolus. It depends on the food’s texture and your rate of chewing. 

Other tips for eating in a healthy way

Because some research has associated a slower eating rate with health benefits, you may want to slow down when eating.

Here are some tips that could help:

• Put your cutlery down after each bite, and pick it back up after you swallow.

• Be mindful while eating and savor your food. Ask yourself what it smells and tastes like to stay present in the moment. 

• Drink water frequently throughout your meal.

• Opt for harder, more solid foods rather than mashed or pureed options.

• Turn off any screens and ignore your phone; these distractions can cause us to eat faster.

ZOE’s personalized nutrition program can help you to make small, steady changes to your diet so you can eat the best foods for you.

You can discover how it works by taking our free quiz. 

Does not chewing enough pose risks?

Several things can happen if you don’t chew enough. 

As we mentioned earlier, chewing your food thoroughly leads to slower eating. This can help keep you from eating more than you need.

To absorb nutrients, your body needs to break food into smaller molecules, like simple sugars and amino acids. So, without proper chewing, you may not absorb nutrients as well.

To avoid these risks, chew your food until it becomes soft. This will mean more or less chewing, depending on your food’s texture.

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Summary

There’s no best number of times to chew for optimal nutrition. The texture of your food, your bite size, and the time between bites all come into play.

With that said, some research has associated a slower eating rate with eating less. So, eating slowly may help you reach or maintain a moderate weight. 

To slow your eating, try putting down your utensils often and drinking water throughout your meal.

And food is something to enjoy, so take time to appreciate the different flavors and ingredients.

If you don’t chew enough, you may experience gas and bloating and take in fewer nutrients.