New almond study shows that thorough chewing may influence feelings of fullness

new research presented today to physicians attending the 17th European

Congress of Obesity in Amsterdam and published in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition reveals that chewing may play a more complex role in the

digestion process, impacting nutrient absorption, and feelings of satiety or

fullness.

The study examined how chewing almonds may impact physiology including

appetite and hunger, hormone response and the efficiency of fat absorption.(1)

The study revealed that those who chewed two ounces of almonds longer, 25 or

40 times before swallowing, absorbed significantly more good, unsaturated fat,

than those who chewed the almonds only 10 times before swallowing.

The study also explored the implications of thoroughly chewed almonds on

satiety, measuring the effects on hormones and hunger scale ratings. Increased

fat in the small intestine often stimulates secretion of several hormones

associated with feelings of fullness. Researchers measured these hormones and

also required participants to fill out an appetite questionnaire before and

after eating almonds. Although overall there were only significant effects on

the hormone insulin, subjects who chewed almonds a greater number of times,

reported feeling significantly less hungry and more full than when they chewed

the almonds less.

"This new almond research indicates that chewing more thoroughly may increase

the availability of unsaturated fat and previous research suggests smaller

particle size also impacts the availability of other nutrients present in the

fat, like vitamin E, to the body," explained study author Richard Mattes,

PhD, RD, at Purdue University. "These findings also emphasize the importance

of examining chewing in the context of a weight management plan because

participants reported their hunger was suppressed and their fullness was

enhanced as a result of increased chewing of the almonds."

This new study builds on research commissioned by the Almond Board of

California and published in 2008 that found thoroughly chewing almonds

resulted in an increased release of good, unsaturated fats, and vitamin E.(2)

These studies suggest that how much we chew or don't chew a food may impact

bioaccessibility of nutrients. Bioaccessibility is the total amount of a

nutrient that can be obtained from a food. Different factors can impact the

bioaccessibility of a nutrient, including the interaction with other nutrients

or the food form -- many small pieces or one larger piece. In the case of

almonds, all the nutrients are delivered in one tiny nut, encapsulated by cell

walls that are invisible to the naked eye. Almonds' cell walls break when we

chew, releasing nutrients like vitamin E and unsaturated fat for absorption in

the body. The more we chew almonds, the more cell walls break and nutrients

are released into the body.

www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS212878+07-May-2009+PRN20090507