Did you know that how fast you eat can impact your health? In an episode of his On Purpose Podcast, Jay Shetty spoke with Dr Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician, metabolic health expert, and author, to explore the hidden truths about metabolic health, chronic illness, and the powerful impact of lifestyle changes. The nutritionist explained why eating slowly is so powerful. 

Eating speed matters more than what you are eating

When asked about the 'easiest, simplest but underestimated habit' of eating slowly, she said, "Research strongly shows that the people who eat the slowest have a four times less likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome than people who eat the fastest. So, literally, this has nothing to do with what you're eating. It's how you're eating."

She added, "So this should be very empowering for people because even if you don't want to change the actual food, change the speed at which you're eating, and that does change everything... the key message here is that the more you can invest in sitting down at a table and eating slowly and mindfully, it's literally and profoundly going to impact your core metabolic health."

Eating slowly may lead to weight loss

A 2018 study published in BMJ Open showed that eating slowly was linked to lower rates of obesity and smaller waists. Slowing down the speed at which you eat, cutting out after-dinner snacks, and not eating within two hours of going to sleep may all help you shed the pounds, suggested the research. Changes in these eating habits were strongly associated with lower obesity and weight (BMI) and smaller waist circumference, the researchers found.

They based their findings on health insurance data for nearly 60,000 people with diabetes In Japan, who submitted claims and had regular health check-ups between 2008 and 2013. This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.

Nevertheless, eating quickly has been linked to impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance and this is possibly because it may take longer for fast eaters to feel full, whereas this might happen more quickly for slow eaters, helping to curb their calorie intake, the researchers suggested.

The researchers concluded, "Changes in eating habits can affect obesity, BMI, and waist circumference. Interventions aimed at reducing eating speed may be effective in preventing obesity and lowering the associated health risks."

Read Also: How to eat oats without milk: 9 healthy breakfast recipes