Eating while standing: unhealthy or good for digestion?

The stressful working day hardly leaves time for a lunch break and life is often hectic and breathless even after work. Understandably, most of them then try to save as much time as possible. Eating while standing is therefore no longer uncommon. What used to be a ritual has now become nothing more than a fast food mentality, claim our mothers and grandmothers. But is that actually true, is eating while standing really as unhealthy as assumed? We take a closer look at the question.

Is eating while standing bad for digestion??

It is said that anyone who eats while standing risks blocking their digestion. But is that really true? There are currently insufficient studies available on the subject. It has therefore not been scientifically proven whether eating while standing is really unhealthy. However, many doctors believe that eating while standing could lead to digestive problems. But the reason is not the fact that we eat the food standing up. The stress for the body is much more critical when we quickly devour a curry sausage or a roll in between. This leads to the fact that we swallow a lot of air while eating or that we don’t chew the food well enough. As a result, large pieces of food get into our stomach, which can damage the organ. This fast food mentality can negatively affect our digestion even if we otherwise eat healthily. The ritualized eating, where we sit down and take our time, turns out to be much better.

By the way, there are several other reasons why it is unhealthy to eat while standing:

1) Eating while standing is also bad for digestion because a feeling of satiety occurs much more slowly. In most cases we have already eaten too much. That alone can lead to obesity.

2) When we are standing, the heart pumps blood much faster and works twice as hard to move blood around the body than when we are sitting or lying down. The body’s own hormone cortisol is released, which inhibits digestive enzymes and can affect our taste. A study in this regard was carried out by Dr. Dipayan Biswas from the University of South Florida. The subjects were divided into two groups. The first group sat together at the table, the second group stood. The brownies served to all participants were then rated differently by the two groups. The first group found them delicious, the second – average. The people who stood could not notice any differences in temperature or sugar content.

3) When we sit, we can concentrate better on eating. It is said that the eyes eat too, and scientists can confirm that. No wonder that many nutrition experts recommend ritualized eating. If the process is aware from childhood, then eating disorders can be avoided in adulthood. It is especially good for toddlers when the family sits down and eats together every evening. This not only trains the eating process, but also relieves the stress of everyday life. Healthy meals are usually served at dinner with the family. This fact also has a positive effect on the children.

Eating standing up during lunch break?

So eating while standing is not a good idea. The nutrition experts only mention one important exception: if we sit at work all day, then eating while standing is permitted during the lunch break. However, it is important that we observe a few basic rules:

1. Try to create a relaxed dining atmosphere. A snack on the street, where all buyers are in a hurry and are totally stressed out, is less suitable. It makes much more sense to find a cozy dining area next to a window where you can look out into the distance. This allows the eyes to relax. When dining out with coworkers, try not to talk about work. So you can escape the stress of everyday life for a short time.

2. Eat slowly. You need at least 20 minutes for a meal. Try to chew the food thoroughly and focus only on your meal. Eating too quickly can lead to gas. If you take your time instead, it will stimulate digestion.

3. Eat a varied diet. This is especially true if you want to eat healthy while standing. For example, you can fill a lunch box with healthy homemade goodies. In this way you can ensure that you do not eat too much in the snack bar and keep an overview of the daily number of calories.

To the study of Dr. Dipayan Biswas from the University of South Florida