Dr. Sarah Berry from King's College London discusses how eating slowly can reduce blood sugar response and calorie intake. Michael Mosley explores the benefits of slowing down meals for digestion, fullness, and improved health. A real-life example from Stewart shows the potential impact on sleep and snacking habits.
Slowing down eating aids weight management by reducing calorie intake and improving fullness cues.
Leisurely eating can positively impact blood sugar levels, inflammation, and diabetes risk.
Deep dives
Benefits of Eating Slowly
Slowing down your eating pace can have various positive effects on your health. By taking your time to eat, you allow your brain enough time to register fullness, potentially leading to consuming fewer calories. Additionally, research has linked leisurely eating to lower levels of cholesterol and reduced belly fat over the long term. Slowing down can also help improve blood sugar levels, which is crucial for reducing inflammation and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Impacts of Eating Quickly on Health
Eating quickly can contribute to weight gain and metabolic problems like type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that fast eaters tend to be more overweight and have higher energy intake compared to slow or average eaters. Speedy eating can disrupt the release of gut hormones and hunger signals, leading to overeating and potential health issues. Slowing down the eating pace has been found to result in consuming fewer calories and could positively impact hunger and fullness cues, ultimately benefiting both physical and mental health.
Recommendations for Slowing Down Eating
To slow down your eating pace, various simple techniques can be employed, such as putting down utensils between each bite, consciously chewing more, or using smaller utensils like teaspoons. Sipping water between mouthfuls can also naturally slow down eating. Research suggests that aiming to extend meal times to at least 20-30 minutes can offer health benefits by allowing better regulation of gut hormones and hunger signals, promoting overall well-being.
In our bustling modern lives, it can be all too easy to wolf down our meals on the go, and never take the time to enjoy them properly. In this episode, Michael Mosley finds out how simply slowing down the speed at which you eat can help you feel full for longer, snack less, and improve your digestion. Michael speaks to Dr Sarah Berry from the department of nutritional sciences at King's College London, who shares findings showing that eating slower can reduce your blood sugar response to food, as well as reducing your calorie intake. Our volunteer Stewart tries to make eating slowly a habit in an attempt to improve his sleep.
Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Christine Johnston
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Researcher: Sophie Richardson
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoë Heron
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
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