Mastication is an essential part of eating and digestion. Chewing your food properly comes with its benefits and not chewing food well enough comes with its own dangers.
By not chewing your food properly, you are doing your body more harm than good. We’ve brought you the benefits that come with chewing food properly; now it’s time to know its dangers.
1. DIGESTIVE ISSUES
Not chewing food properly can lead to digestive issues, especially carbohydrates. Digestion starts in the mouth, as proper chewing would enable the salivary glands to release an alkaline enzyme called ptyalin — this would help break the food into simple sugars. Not chewing properly can cause you to experience heartburn, constipation and acid reflux.
2. POOR ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS
When the food isn’t chewed properly, it would lead to poor digestion and also poor absorption of nutrients that come with the food.
3. INCREASED RISK OF FOOD POISONING
Food poisoning is another risk that comes with not chewing properly. Mastication ensures that lysozyme, an enzyme found in the saliva destroys food-borne pathogens. These pathogens can cause certain illnesses or even lead to death, and mastication is an important way to curb it.
4. COULD DAMPEN YOUR MOOD
Poor mastication can also lead to you having a bad mood. When the digestion of food isn’t completed, it could cause gas to fill your stomach and this could make you uncomfortable, causing you to have a sour mood.
5. WEIGHT GAIN
Chewing fast would make you eat more than normal, and chewing too fast can also make you prone to taking in too much calories that’s enough to make you add weight.
6. INCREASED RISK OF BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH
Poor mastication could cause large food particles to be improperly digested. This could lead to an increase in the bacteria colon, which is responsible for abdominal pain, cramp, constipation and other stomach issues.
7. Chewing too fast and swallowing large mouthful of foods can damage the lining of the throat and esophagus. This can also lead to reflux or heartburn and also bloating, abdominal spasms, IBS and constipation.
Remember, that proper digestion starts with the mouth and the stomach has no teeth.
S.O.Z