How you eat is just as important as what you eat. Recently, Dr. Karan Rajan, a doctor and author, shared an insightful post on Instagram about the benefits of eating slowly and its impact on gut health.
In the video, Karan Ranjan said, “The speed you eat has a significant impact on your overall gut health. When you eat too fast, you can actually override multiple physiological mechanisms designed to optimise digestion.”
Chewing properly is extremely important and the doctor emphasised that digestion begins in the mouth, where the enzyme starts to break down carbohydrates.
“So, if you’re speed-running your food and don’t chew it properly, it can reach your intestines in larger chunks and your gut bacteria have more undigested carb deferment, leading to excessive gas production,” he highlighted. Therefore, the more you chew, it improves your enzymatic action and nutrient absorption, he said.
According to Dr. Ranjan, if you swallow your food without chewing enough it can overwhelm the lower oesophagal sphincter.
“Speed eating equals an increased risk of acid reflux and heartburn. Eating too fast can also trigger an exaggerated gastrocolic reflex. This can lead to an increased urgency of wanting to release the chocolate Kraken or diarrhoea, especially if you have IBS,” added Dr. Karan Rajan.
Dr. Ranjan said, “We also need to acknowledge that digestion isn’t immediate. It takes time for the body to secrete essential digestive fluids like bile and enzymes. If the food is consumed too quickly, the body doesn’t have enough time to release these, leading to incomplete digestion and poor nutrient absorption.”
The doctor also revealed that eating too fast prevents your hormones-such as cholecystokinin, GIP, and GLP-1-from having enough time to tell your brain when you’re full. It may result in trouble recognising fullness resulting in overeating, he said.