Yes, chew your food!

An abstract presented at the 2011 European Association for the Study of Diabetes suggests that thorough chewing stimulates the release of two intestinal peptides that reduce appetite and food intake in obese individuals.  In a study of obese non-diabetic individuals, thorough chewing stimulated postprandial increases of plasma glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and peptide YY (PYY), both of which are secreted by intestinal L cells.

It was reported that the postprandial plasma levels of both hormones were statistically significantly higher after chewing 30 times than after chewing 5. This suggests that thorough chewing of food might have a clinically meaningful effect in controlling body weight in obese individuals. 

Once again, mom was right.  Slow down, don’t talk with your mouth full and chew your food before you swallow….