Washington: It seems that the age-old
advice to properly chew food is not always best for health, as
a new study has revealed that chewing food less and taking big
bites can help people avoid weight gain.
A team, led by the University of Canterbury, has found
that taking bigger bites and chewing food less can make people
feel full longer and thereby help regulate weight as the food
gets broken down more slowly in the stomach.
This meant people can feel fuller for longer and the
slow release of energy could be burned off over time, say the
researchers.
"The way people chew the food depends more on the
food`s properties, not the individual, so you can design food
which people won`t chew much and (food they) will chew a lot,"
team leader Marco Morgenstern said.
In their study, the researchers found that their
findings included the benefits of eating whole-oat muesli and
wholegrain bread which made people feel satisfied for longer.
Pasta was also found to have a slow-release energy.
The research team has also created an online diet
programme called Aspire for Life which has been clinically
tested at Otago University.
PTI