If you have eaten with your loved one recently, then you most likely noticed that one of you finished significantly ahead of the other. According to a study performed by scientists from the Semyung University of South Korea, men eat at a much fast pace than women, who tend to prefer to eat slower and chew their food more efficiently.

The studies concluded that the difference between men and women is the chewing patterns. Men tend to chew more powerfully and swallow bigger bites than women. This makes men very efficient at eating food very quickly. However, women are much more efficient at processing the food since it is in smaller sizes. This leads to men having more irritated stomachs since they are forced to digest larger portions of food.

The research required participants to eat 152g of boiled white rice with hooked electrodes to their jaws. This advanced technology allowed the researchers to find out exactly how much food the male and female participates could eat within one minute. This also allowed the researchers to find out the total number of chews for each male/female, as well as the necessary amount of time required by each of the two sexes in order to finish the whole meal. There were over 100 participants for each gender and the results were quite conclusive. In fact, every male participant had a stronger bite than every female participant and every female participant took more average chews per bite than every male.

In addition, there is also a difference in regards to the personalities that people have when it comes to chewing. There are people who are impatient, fast and ambitious, and these persons will usually eat quickly. On the other hand, the other type of personality is laid back, so a person approaches the whole eating experience with more calm temperament, which results in slower eating. Those who eat in a calmer, slower way tend to be healthier, because the brain has the time to receive signals from the body and thus it will require less food. This can lead to eating less and actually losing weight.

There are a few interesting statistics in regards to the number of times we chew each day that come from this research. According to the results, it is said that the average person tends to chew around 800-1400 times per day. Obviously, doctors note that the number of chews you take per bite is really a personal decision. It is recommended to not swallow until you’ve determined your food is chewed to small enough portions. In fact, studies have shown that 45% of choking incidents are caused by not chewing enough.

Obviously, chewing is essential because without it, large chumps of food will cause havoc on our digestive system and can be irritable on your stomach.Taking a slower approach to eating and lengthening the amount amount of time between bites can be beneficial to your health. So slow down and enjoy your meal!

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