The Cellar / How many times you you chewed, ever?

**Posted by Flint** 6/29/2023 2:27 pm

Anybody care to guess a ballpark figure? Like times chewed per meal, meals per day, days per year, times current age?

**Posted by glatt** 6/29/2023 2:40 pm

LOL. What an awesome question. It's got to vary dramatically from person to person, because we all have our style of chewing.

I figure I chew about 15 times for a typical bite, and I bet I eat about 50 bites per meal. (Just a guess.) so that's
15x50x3x365x53 or about 40-45 million times.

**Posted by glatt** 6/29/2023 2:42 pm

Or maybe I chew 10 times per bite. So 30 million chews.

Last edited by glatt (6/29/2023 2:42 pm)

**Posted by Flint** 6/29/2023 3:03 pm

I'm gonna count my chews and bites on a couple of different types of food.

**Posted by Flint** 11/22/2023 4:06 pm

I forgot to count my chews. Has anyone else been active on this project?

**Posted by glatt** 11/22/2023 5:42 pm

I wonder where I got the 53 from in my post above? I'm 56. Must be losing it.

**Posted by Flint** 11/22/2023 6:23 pm

I'm *8 but I've thought I was *7 for over 6 months

Last edited by Flint (11/22/2023 6:25 pm)

**Posted by griff** 11/23/2023 8:05 am

I chewed a bunch. Creeping up on 59 1/2.

**Posted by Clodfobble** 11/25/2023 10:46 am

On the one hand, I have a disproportionate love for food that requires no chewing (soups, smoothies, mashed potatoes, yogurt...) On the other, I have a piece of gum in my mouth pretty much the entire time I'm awake.

Probably evens out, in the end.

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 11/25/2023 12:06 pm

I am sure everyone here knows that thorough chewing is one key to good digestion, both physically and chemically.
I try.
I wonder if it can be taught or learned to the point of habit.

**Posted by glatt** 11/25/2023 12:28 pm

On the other hand, the more you chew, the more you digest, and the more weight you gain. Don't chew your food and it will be more likely to pass through without being absorbed. If you wish to avoid gaining weight, chew less. [/pure speculation]

**Posted by tw** 11/25/2023 12:54 pm

I get lots of food from a box that says "Chewy" on it. It must be healthier. I read it on the internet.

**Posted by tw** 11/25/2023 1:04 pm

glatt wrote:
If you wish to avoid gaining weight, chew less. [/pure speculation]

Technique for losing weight is to eat more nutritionally. Much now ongoing research identifies even autism with what happens inside intestines.

Also curious is why people get hungry. Digestive tract generates an enzyme that is a message to the brain: "I am full". But the liver quickly breaks down that enzyme. So that one might be hungry again in two hours.

One particular fiber is now reported to create enzymes that supress 'hunger'. Eating those foods mean no need to pig out in the cookie aisle.

Same technique is done in wrestling. Best wrestlers do not diet. Eat only nutritious foods to lose 20% of body weight. Then hunger is not constant distraction. And one has more energy.

Trick is to know which foods qualify as nutritious. For example, do you drink orange juices that is filtered? Or juice with pulp - therefore comes with fiber.

**Posted by Clodfobble** 11/25/2023 8:15 pm

tw wrote:
Much now ongoing research identifies even autism with what happens inside intestines.

Fascinating.

In other news, Minifob is heading off to study aerospace engineering at a top-ranked college next Fall.

Apologies for the self-centered thread drift, but c'mon...

**Posted by fargon** 11/25/2023 9:04 pm

Clodfobble wrote:
tw wrote:
Much now ongoing research identifies even autism with what happens inside intestines.
Fascinating.

In other news, Minifob is heading off to study aerospace engineering at a top-ranked college next Fall.

Apologies for the self-centered thread drift, but c'mon...

Wonderful news!!!

**Posted by griff** 11/26/2023 8:04 am

Clodfobble wrote:
tw wrote:
Much now ongoing research identifies even autism with what happens inside intestines.
Fascinating.

In other news, Minifob is heading off to study aerospace engineering at a top-ranked college next Fall.

Apologies for the self-centered thread drift, but c'mon...

Nice work Mom! (and Minifob)

**Posted by glatt** 11/26/2023 3:45 pm

Way to go, Minifob!

**Posted by glatt** 12/09/2023 12:43 pm

Ok a little data. During lunch I counted bites and chews for a cold slice of pizza. 12 bites and 517 totals chews for an average of 43 chews per bite. Pizza is chewy.

Then I had an orange and ate 2 segments at at time. The whole orange was eaten in 5 bites and 151 chews, for an average of 30 chews per bite. I really noticed all the membrane matter as I was counting my chews. I think I chewed naturally.

My wife and I were also eating these little hot chili and lime tortilla snacks from Trader Joes, and I was chewing each one about 15 times. She chewed hers in about 10 chews.

I remember a Dr Oz tv episdode I saw years ago where he had a saltine cracker eating test and you were supposed to time how long it took before you tasted sweetness when you started chewing one. If it took too long to taste sweetness, it was supposed to mean you tended to be diabetic or something like that. So I think different people have different enzymes in their saliva that will influence these numbers.

**Posted by tw** 12/10/2023 9:04 am

I breathed 87,467 times yesterday. I think I got the count right.

**Posted by xoxoxoBruce** 12/17/2023 12:04 am

You blink about 6 million times a year.

**Posted by Diaphone Jim** 12/17/2023 12:06 pm

tw: I think that is heartbeats not respiration.

**Posted by footfootfoot** 12/18/2023 7:43 am

Teeth are pretty robust. On average.

**Posted by tw** 12/18/2023 10:37 am

Diaphone Jim wrote:
tw: I think that is heartbeats not respiration.

Someone did the numbers. Correct.