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Chewing Boosts Saliva and Memory
pine Webmaster of Pineapple
2008/12/14 15:32
508 topics published
December 21, 2007, Planting Trees

Many people know that eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is not only beneficial for digestion but also a good way to prevent weight gain. In fact, the benefits of chewing more while eating go far beyond these. Researchers from the Chewing Society at Gifu University in Japan found that subjects who chewed their food for just two minutes saw a 30% increase in the accuracy of their answers to questions compared to usual. This result suggests that two minutes of chewing can enhance memory.

Researchers discovered that chewing stimulates the part of the brain responsible for memory. The cells in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that governs learning, tend to decline with age, leading to a decline in short-term memory. However, the act of chewing can increase the activity of hippocampal cells, preventing their aging. Researchers from Northumbria University in the UK also confirmed that chewing more can speed up heart activity, increase hormone secretion in the brain, and thereby improve thinking ability and memory.

Additionally, chewing can stimulate saliva production, and the area of the brain responsible for saliva secretion is closely related to memory and learning. Therefore, chewing more while eating, rinsing the mouth after meals, and frequently tapping teeth can help enhance brain vitality. For children, chewing more can promote brain development; for young and middle-aged adults, it can help improve work efficiency; and for the elderly, it can prevent brain aging and dementia.

So, how many times should one chew each bite of food? According to experts from the Chewing Society at Gifu University in Japan, each bite of food should be chewed at least 20 times to benefit from the saliva, and 30 times is even better. However, many people have developed the habit of eating quickly, making it difficult to switch to slow and thorough chewing. They either forget to do so or swallow after fewer than 10 chews.

For such individuals, it might help to include more chewy foods in their meals. For example, when cooking rice or porridge, consider adding corn, oats, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, or various beans. When stir-frying or making salads, don't discard the stems or leaves of chewy vegetables like shepherd's purse, celery, spinach, Chinese cabbage, or amaranth. Nuts like chestnuts and sunflower seeds can also be added to dishes. For those who enjoy making soups, adding seaweed or lotus root can provide both nutrition and chewiness.

Source: Health Times
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