THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEWING FOOD

Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is crushed and grounded by the teeth. During the process the lower jaw or mandible moves up and down to enable the teeth crushed the food. It is one of the four processes that food take to pass through the alimentary canal. The four clear stages are;
i. Ingestion
ii. Digestion ( Our focus)
iii. Assimilation/Absorption and
iv. Egestion

Ingestion: This is the act of taking in food through the mouth; the anterior end of the alimentary canal.

Digestion: This is an act of breaking down food into simple, smaller and absorbable particles. This is my area of concern, why food is not properly broken down or chewed. Digestion is divided into mechanical and chemical digestion as it would be explain below.

Absorption/Assimilation: This is the absorption of digested food into the blood stream and assimilation into the cells and tissues. If food is properly broken down (digested) as stated in the previous stage, this stage is a walked over, because the grounded food can be absorbed properly and easily by system of animals.

Egestion: This is an act of getting rid or removal of undigested food particles. In this stage, if food is not properly digested for proper assimilation, most essential nutrients that should have been absorbed are egested as waste product.
I have observed people eat from start to finish. It baffles me of the attitude and manner people chew. It would amaze you how people rush into eating food and rush out. No matter where you are, the act of chewing food properly would enhance proper assimilation of food (nutrients). The benefit of chewing food are numerous and therefore there is efficacious need to chew food properly and mixed it vigorously.

FOOD is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth. Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals with water, in the other words classes of food. Food has the following benefits and many more.
i. To provide energy needed for various physical and metabolic activities.
ii. To make essential substances hormones and enzymes
iii. To make new cell for growth and replacement of worn out tissues.
iv. To supply various substances for healthy growth and development.

Digestion of food has a broad spectrum of interest. I may explore few minor areas to draw your interest. For instance food digestion (that is, an act of breaking down food) involves two processes as mention earlier, which are
i. Mechanical digestion and
ii. Chemical digestion

The first part which is mechanical digestion is the most important. Food being broken down mechanically involves using of grinders; the teeth. The teeth serves as grinders. The purpose of properly grinding food is to increase the surface area of the food particles to expose it, so that it can properly mixed with enzymes which help in chemical digestion. Grinding any substance reduce the size of the particle to almost powdery. Food is not an exception. Grinding (chewing) food properly would expose the particles to proper chemical digestion.

Mechanical digestion start from the mouth where the teeth are found. It usher in chemical digestion. Therefore, there is undoubted need to properly chew food so that the next step of digestion may not be hampered. Chewing food properly in the mouth allows the food to thoroughly mix with saliva. Mixing the food well with saliva marks the beginning of Chemical digestion.

Chemical digestion is the process by which enzymes breakdown food particles into absorbable particles. For example digestion of starch starts in the mouth by the action of the enzyme called Ptyalin. Ptyalin break down starch into maltose which is an absorbable food substances. Therefore, to enhance effective enzymatic reactions (chemical digestion) on food particles, such food must be properly chewed or broken down.

Both Mechanical and Chemical digestion continuous in the stomach, duodenum and small intestine with different enzymes acting on it substrate. The stomach is not a dump site where waste is thrown into, to decay. The importance of chewing food or mastication is undoubtedly under-emphasized. It is the hallmark of maximizing the usefulness of food and practical actions on the substances put into the alimentary canal. The importance attached to food should also be meted to the act of chewing it.

The size of particle in every substances (food) that pass through the alimentary canal must be at it smallest possible level. Otherwise such food substances may not fulfil it purpose. To effectively utilize the ingredients found in food that our body needs, we must know the importance of chewing food, take action on that part on our next meals.