You’re sitting at your desk. The salad is on a real plate. You are using a fork. It feels awkward to pause the workday for a proper meal, but you’re sticking to the plan. You’ve decided to follow the old advice: chew every bite 32 times. You don’t quite remember the science behind the number. You assume it helps digestion. Or maybe it tricks your brain into feeling full faster. Either way, you’re going to do it. You might even call your mom later to thank her for the tip.
Here’s the thing, though. Your mom didn’t invent this. The credit for the “slow chew” movement belongs to Horace Fletcher. He was a Victorian-era industrialist who popularized “Fletcherism” in the late 1800s. Fletcher wrote a book called Fletcherism: What It Is. His theory was simple. Chew food into tiny bits. Let your body absorb it better. If you chew until the food liquefies, you eat less. You buy less food. You save money.
Fletcher wasn’t just some guy with a kitchen timer. He was a wealthy British tycoon with friends like Thomas Edison and John D. Rockefeller. He pushed hard. He told people to chew up to 100 times per minute. Or until the bite turned to liquid. Then, swallow. Or spit it out. His nickname became “The Great Masticator.” He traveled across England, Northern Europe, and the United States. He died in 1919, still preaching that “the more you chew, the less you eat.” During World War I, he even advised 800,000 starving Belgians on how to chew thoroughly so they could get more nutrients from scarce food.
It sounded like a long shot then. Recent research shows there is actually some merit to spending more time chewing your food.
How Chewing Speed Affects Nutrient Absorption
A 2009 study at Purdue University looked at almonds. Researchers asked participants to chew them 10, 25, or 40 times. The result was clear. More chewing meant faster nutrient absorption. Participants who chewed more maintained their energy levels better. The breakdown of the food particle size matters. Smaller particles mean enzymes can work faster. The body gets what it needs sooner.
This isn’t just about almonds. The principle applies to many foods. Thorough mastication increases the surface area for digestive enzymes. This is particularly important for nuts, seeds, and raw vegetables. If you swallow chunks whole, they may pass through your system undigested. You waste the nutrients. You waste the calories.
Slower Eating Lowers Calorie Intake
Chewing more also forces you to eat slower. This has its own benefits. A 2014 study by Texas Christian University found that slower eaters consume fewer calories. The brain takes time to register fullness. Signals from the gut take about 20 minutes to reach the brain. If you eat quickly, you finish the meal before your body knows it’s satisfied. You keep eating. You overconsume.
Slower eating gives these satiety signals time to catch up. You stop when you’re actually full. You don’t eat until you’re stuffed. This can help with weight management. It doesn’t require a diet plan. It just requires a fork and a plate. And maybe a little extra time.
The Truth About the “32 Chews” Rule
The number 32 is arbitrary. Fletcher didn’t base it on any specific biological constant. He just liked the sound of it. He advocated for chewing until the food liquefied. That’s the real metric. Not a count. Not a timer. The texture matters. If the food is still chunky, chew more. If it’s a smooth paste, you’re good.
This advice is easy to ignore. We live in a fast-paced world. Lunch breaks are short. Emails don’t wait. But taking a few extra seconds per bite adds up. It changes the experience of eating. It slows you down. It might even help you enjoy the food more. You’re not just fueling your body. You’re engaging with it.
Your mom might not have come up with the idea. But she might have been onto something. Even if she got the history wrong. The science supports the practice. Chew more. Eat slower. Absorb better. Call her later. If you have time.
