Nowadays we chew less and less well. This is due to the rise of smoothies and liquid meals. These are of course easy to drink and very tasty, but are they good for you? And how important is chewing well for your health?
The convenience of liquid food
Guido Camps, a researcher from Wageningen University, states that something goes wrong with our satiety level when drinking liquid foods. It is much less filling than solid foods. He tested this hypothesis himself by making a smoothie of one kilo of grapes and eating them separately. When eating the grapes separately, he could no longer continue while the smoothie was so drunk. What also struck him was that if you let people eat a smoothie with a spoon, they ate about as much as they would eat loose fruit.According to the dentist and epidemiologist Casper Bots, chewing is also very important for dental health. By making chewing movements, you clean your teeth. Your cheeks and tongue also move well and they help with cleaning. When you drink a smoothie, your teeth are not cleaned.
You also get more calories when you drink a lot of smoothies or meal shakes. You don't feel full as quickly, but you do consume the calories of a whole meal. So if you quickly grab a snack because you are hungry, these calories will be added on top of that.
Chew well for your health
For a long time, we always thought that you had to chew well to pre-digest the food before it ends up in your stomach. According to Camps, this is not so bad. What happens in your mouth also happens in your stomach. That makes little difference. In addition, a lot of food these days is already so soft that it is almost digested in your mouth. That's where the real problem lies.Chewing well is important for your health. Your eating speed also determines the calorie intake of your food. You can finish a slice of white bread in no time, you hardly have to chew. That is not healthy. When you have a whole-wheat sandwich, you chew it more and it takes longer. That is much better for your health. In addition, chewing more slowly ensures that you feel full faster and that you stop eating in time.
Prevent cavities by chewing well
Besides that chewing well is important for your health, it also helps to keep your mouth healthy and strong. By chewing a lot, you make more saliva. Saliva helps to reduce the risk of cavities, according to Casper Bots.
If you suffer from dry mouth for any reason, taking sugar-free gum helps. This stimulates your saliva production and keeps your teeth healthy.
