Chewing Almonds Longer Affects Satiety, Nutrient Absorption

MODESTO, Calif.—New research presented at 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. 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.