Doctor's gut health and weight warning to those who eat their meals in 'less than 20 minutes'

This common habit could not only disrupt your gut health but lead to weight gain

An NHS doctor has issued urgent advice about eating, warning that a certain habit could be harmful to your health. According to the expert, the speed at which you eat can have a major impact on your gut.

Many of us are aware that diet is hugely important when it comes to our overall health and wellbeing. Making sure we get the right amount of each food group and not eating too much sugar, salt or ultra-processed foods are examples of some of the rules people stick to for this reason.

However, not as much thought is given to the way in which we eat. Doctor Karan Rajan, who is best known online as Dr Raj, took to social media platform Instagram to explain more.

In a video, he told his 1.6 million followers not to eat "too fast". This could prevent your body being able to properly digest your food leading to numerous uncomfortable symptoms.

It could also lead to overeating and weight gain. Dr Raj said: "The speed you eat has a significant impact on your overall gut health.

"When you eat too fast you can actually override multiple physiological mechanisms designed to optimise digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth where the enzyme amylase starts to break down carbohydrates.

"If you're speed running your lasagne and you don't chew properly, food can reach your intestines in larger chunks and your gut bacteria have more undigested carbs to ferment leading to excessive gas production. Plus the more you chew, you improve enzymatic action and nutrient absorption."

Eating quickly could result in acid reflux and heartburn. "When you inhale food like a pig eating from a trough, this can overwhelm the lower oesophageal sphincter," he continued.

"This is the valve that prevents stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus. So speed eating equals an increased risk of acid reflux and heartburn."

Dr Raj also warned that it could lead to increased urgency when going to the toilet and even diarrhoea. This is because eating too fast can "trigger an exaggerated gastrocolic reflex".

Further to this, not taking time to eat could mean your body is missing out on essential nutrients. It could also mean you are left feeling hungrier than you should be.

Dr Raj added: "Smaller slower meals help to modulate the gastrocolic reflex and prevents digestive distress. We also need to acknowledge that digestion isn't immediate. It takes time for the body to secrete essential digestive fluids like bile and enzymes.

"If the food is consumed too quickly the body doesn't have enough time to release these, leading to incomplete digestion and poor nutrient absorption. And fast eating doesn't give your hormones like cholecystokinin, GIP, GLP1 enough time to signal to your brain that you're full and this can lead to difficulties recognising fullness and the chance of overeating."

According to experts at the Cleveland Clinic, you may be eating too fast if your meal is gone in under 20 minutes. "It takes 20 to 30 minutes for your body to send you a message to your brain that you're full," they said.

To combat this issue, they recommend:

• Giving yourself enough time per meal
• Slowing down your chewing
• Sipping on water
• Practising mindful eating - i.e not watching TV or scrolling on your phone while you eat.