CHEW ON THIS

From losing weight to improving your concentration, learning how and when to take a bite are easy ways to improve your health

- KAREN FITTALL

IT'S something you do automatically every time you eat, but that doesn't mean your chewing habits are necessarily healthy or that they can't be improved. Because when you get it right, everything from your brain to your waist measurement will benefit. Here's what you need to know to give yourself a chew makeover.

40 IS THE NEW 10

A recent survey showed that 80 per cent of us think each mouthful should be chewed just 10 times or less, but science says we should actually aim for 40 chews per bite of food. What makes 40 the magic number?

If you chew more, you will...

Satisfy your hunger with less food

In two recent studies that pitted 15 chews against 40, the results were the same: people who chewed their food for longer ate 12 per cent fewer kilojoules during the meal and their appetites reacted positively as well. Researchers say this is caused by a couple of things - not only do "big chewers" experience a more significant increase in a hormone that's linked to how full you feel, but levels of ghrelin, the appetite hormone, fall further as well.

Absorb more nutrients

Using almonds to test the theory, US researchers found that compared to people who chewed the nuts just 10 or 25 times, those who managed 40 chews absorbed more of the nuts' energy and healthy fats. It's simple: the more you chew, the more a food's particles get broken down, and the smaller they are, the more easily they're absorbed by your digestive system.

Protect yourself against diabetes