Fast eating habit causes many harmful effects, doctor shows how to eat properly

Fast eating is the act of putting a large amount of food into the mouth, chewing it quickly, and swallowing it continuously in a short period of time.

Fast food habits are common in urban environments, where the fast pace of life and work pressure shorten meal times.

The harmful effects of eating too fast

Master - Doctor Nguyen Trong Tin, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Campus 3, said that the digestive process begins as soon as we see or smell food: the parasympathetic nervous system stimulates the salivary glands, gastric glands and pancreas to secrete digestive juices. When tasting and chewing, the salivary glands secrete amylase to break down starch, while the mechanical grinding action reduces the size of food, helping to reduce the load on the stomach.

When swallowing, esophageal peristalsis coordinates with the upper and lower esophageal sphincters to transport food to the stomach. The stomach receives food and contracts, mixing it with gastric juice containing hydrochloric acid and many different enzymes to digest proteins, fats, and starches in food, while controlling the rate of food being ejected into the duodenum. This entire chain of reactions requires smooth coordination between organs and takes a certain amount of time to achieve optimal efficiency.

Eating fast causes the amount of calories consumed to exceed the need, easily leading to weight gain and obesity.

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If we eat too fast, the body will not have time to complete the above physiological reactions, leading to the following consequences:

Reduced mechanical digestion : Food is not crushed, the contact area with digestive enzymes is reduced, causing amylase in saliva to work less effectively, causing the stomach to contract more strongly to compensate, causing smooth muscle fatigue and slow stomach emptying.

Sudden gastric overload : Large amounts of food going down quickly cause strong distension of the stomach wall, stimulating G cells to secrete excessive gastrin, easily irritating the mucosa, especially in people with existing ulcers, which will make symptoms more severe.

Esophageal-gastric coordination disorder : When swallowing continuously, the lower esophageal sphincter must open and close quickly, increasing the risk of reflux due to high stomach pressure pushing acid back up the esophagus.

Reduced satiety signals : The satiety center in the hypothalamus needs about 15-20 minutes to receive enough signals from the hormones cholecystokinin and leptin; eating quickly causes the calorie intake to exceed the need, leading to weight gain and obesity.

Increased risk of bloating and indigestion : Swallowing quickly is often accompanied by swallowing a lot of air (leading to aerophagia), combined with slow digestion, causing gas in the stomach and intestines, causing bloating and belching.

Eat right

According to Dr. Trong Tin, to have a healthy digestive system, we need to eat properly. When eating, we need to use all our senses such as looking at colors, smelling scents, feeling flavors, listening to chewing sounds... to help stimulate the maximum reflex of digestive secretions.

In addition, you should avoid eating while working, watching your phone or thinking about stress. You should practice chewing thoroughly and swallowing slowly: each bite should be chewed 20-50 times to grind and mix well with saliva before swallowing; after swallowing, wait a few seconds before putting the next food into your mouth, helping the stomach process each small batch. A main meal should be eaten within 20-30 minutes to ensure that the satiety signal is effective.

In short, eating fast saves time but it is a bad habit because it disrupts the natural digestive rhythm, leading to a series of consequences: reduced digestive efficiency, increased risk of reflux, obesity, motility disorders and damage to the stomach lining. Proper eating habits not only help the digestive system function optimally but also improve weight control and reduce the risk of long-term digestive diseases.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-quen-an-nhanh-gay-nhieu-tac-hai-bac-si-chi-cach-an-dung-185250827234014788.htm