Eating fast and high cholesterol risk. The link between these two factors was investigated by researchers from theFederico II University of Naples. The team found that eating too fast – and in less than twenty minutes anyway – doubles the risk of high cholesterol. The research is currently being published in the scientific journal Journal of Translational Medicine.
The importance of eating slowly
Eating your lunch or dinner in minutes has several side effects. First of all, it will be more difficult for us to be satisfied. The brain needs at least twenty minutes to release the satiety signal. It is therefore a behavior to be taken into great consideration if we want to lose weight. Also there may be problems of aerophagia and meteorism, because when you eat quickly, you chew badly and let more air into your stomach. Digestion is also severely affected. The first digestive organ is in fact the mouth. To digest well you need to chop the food and mix it with saliva.
Eat quickly and risk of high cholesterol: you have to chew for at least 20 minutes
The researchers at the Campanian university put the table habits, including the duration of meals, of 187 people, all obese, under the magnifying glass. The working group compared those who have lunch and dinner in less than 20 minutes with those who take more time. From this comparison, the study results clearly showed that eating fast meals doubles the risk of developing high cholesterol, especially in those who are ultra-fast at dinner.
High cholesterol major risk factor for the heart
“Cholesterol is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke. However, it is not the only metabolic element that gets worse with a too hasty meal. Previous studies have shown that eating too quickly is associated with increased food consumption. Our work also confirms this, adding that those who dine in a few minutes more often consume a complete meal with first, second, side dish and fruit. Furthermore, among the foods that can be eaten faster there are ultra-processed ones (such as some sausages) which, in addition to being very caloric and unhealthy, also make us less able to control calorie intake “. Annamaria Colao is president of the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) and first research coordinator.
Eat fast and risk of high cholesterol: change this habit to get better
“Eating differently, respecting slower rhythms would help us a lot in preventing metabolic diseases. All the more reason we can do it during the Christmas holidays, when it is inevitable to spend more time at the table. We take the opportunity for a small change to take with us also in the rest of the year. It is in fact with daily habits that true health is built. Spending a few more minutes at the table to develop awareness of food could play a key role in the prevention of obesity and related metabolic diseases “.