健康生活:咀嚼瘦身法問世 效果堪比減肥藥

Chewing your food for longer may help you lose weight, scientists have suggested. Munching on each mouthful for longer significantly reduces the amount of calories consumed during a meal, a study found. Volunteers who chewed each mouthful 40 times ate 12 per cent less food than those who chewed just 15 times. It is thought chewing for longer prevents over-eating by giving the brain more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full.
　 不用再花錢請私人健身教練,不必再吞下昂貴的減肥產品，專家近日調查得出結論：咀嚼食物時間長，可以達到非常好的減肥效果。專家稱，長時間的咀嚼食物可以相當程度地降低食物中的卡路里含量，數字現實，每次咀嚼食物達到40下，相對每次咀嚼食物僅僅爲15下的情況，卡路里能減少12%。此外，還有一種說法，咀嚼的時間越長，留給大腦思考的時間就會越多，人們會時刻意識到：哦，差不多了，胃快要到達極限了，還是停下來吧！

It also appears to lower levels of ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone’, circulating in the digestive system. Researchers at Harbin Medical University in China recruited 16 slim men and 14 obese men in their late teens or twenties and carried out two experiments. In the first, they wanted to see if the obese men chewed their food differently to their lean rivals.

據悉，長時間的咀嚼可以達到減肥的效果這一理論和----胃飢餓素（一種胃腸道激素）的水平高低有關係。胃飢餓素（一種胃腸道激素）也被稱作生長素(Ghrelin)是一種主要由胃黏膜分泌的,作用於內源性生長激素促分泌劑受體,通過加快胃排空調節食慾,抑制體質量.

In a report on their findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers said eating more slowly could be a simple and effective way of tackling weight problems. They said: ‘Research indicates eating quickly, gorging and binge eating have a substantial effect on being overweight.‘Our results showed obese participants chewed less and ingested more quickly than lean ones. '

這項研究已經發表在《美國臨牀營養學雜誌》上，資料顯示，咀嚼次數多，並且時間長，是一種很有效的減肥方式。專家說：“研究顯示，吃飯太快，甚至暴飲暴食對於體重的增加有着不可推卸的責任。我們發現，那些體重過胖的人，咀嚼次數比普通人要少。”

A survey of 1,000 people last year by the sandwich chain Subway showed the average person in Britain chews their food just six times before swallowing it. Young, busy professionals in the 25-34 age group were the worst culprits.

The same survey found 15 per cent of people regularly ate a meal while walking and only half routinely sit down to eat at a table.

據悉，在針對在全球快餐連鎖店Subway吃三明治的1000名食客的調查中發現，英國人平均在吞嚥前咀嚼食物的次數僅僅爲6次，而且，在那些25到34歲之間的工作狂白領來說，他們屬於咀嚼次數最少的一部分人羣。此外，數據顯示，有15%的人喜歡邊走路邊吃東西，只有50%的人願意正兒八經地坐在桌子旁邊吃飯。

Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital, London, said although eating more slowly may have some effect on gut hormone levels, the benefits are more likely psychological.‘When you gulp down your food, you don’t realise you’re eating so much.‘But chewing for longer makes you more likely to notice the taste, smell and texture, which makes you more aware of what you’re eating and how much. ‘As a result, you’re less likely to feel hungry again ten minutes later.’

專家Catherine Collins覺得慢慢吃飯不僅僅對減肥有顯著療效，而且還對心理良好的調節作用，她說：“慢慢吃可以讓你體味到食物的細節，比如說材質、味道以及口感等等，吃飯不再僅僅是填飽肚子而已，而變成了一種享受。”