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Enjoying your meals may be the key to losing weight.
Japanese researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology looked at previous studies to see if there were links between chewing food and energy expenditure from food digestion, absorption and storage.
While the benefits of savoring meals by eating foods slowly and chewing thoroughly have been talked about for quite some time, researchers Yuka Hamada Hideaki Kashima and Naoyuki Hayashi said that the latest study is the first quantitative study to examine the link between chewing physiological parameters subsequent to a meal such as circulation and energy expenditure.
"If chewing alters digestion-induced thermogenesis, its importance should be incorporated into weight management strategies," researchers wrote in the study.
The latest study, conducted by researchers at Kyushu University and Tokyo Institute of Technology, involved 21 healthy normal weight participants. Half were given 100kcal solid food and the other half was given 300 kcal of solid food.
Participants underwent two experiments. In one experiment they were asked to swallow the food as rapidly as possible and in the other to chew as many times as possible.
The findings revealed that the energy expenditure from digestion, absorption and storage of food, which is also called "diet-induced thermogenesis," correlated with the number of chews. The study revealed that slower eating and more chews resulted in more energy expenditure.
Researchers noted that past studies found that increased orosensory stimulation boosts energy expenditure. They believe that the findings may have something to do with the effects of food consumption on diet-induced thermogenesis.
"These findings suggest a partial link between obesity trends and chewing," researchers concluded.
The study titled "The number of chews and meal duration affect diet-induced thermogenesis and splanchnic circulation," was published in the journal Obesity.