A Simple Way To Keep Your Brain Young; Chew More

According to SAEDNEWS, chewing is not just part of eating; it is a simple action that scientists now link to brain health, memory, and even mental aging.

Studies show that increased chewing may bring benefits ranging from improved digestion and appetite control to reduced stress, increased focus, and enhanced memory. Some experts also believe that improving patients’ dental health may even help reverse the process of mental aging.

Why is “chewing” important?

Researchers in recent years have paid special attention to the connection between the mouth and the brain; a link that some scientists refer to as the “chewing–brain axis.” Abhishek Kumar, a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, says that scientific evidence increasingly shows that chewing ability is directly related to brain function. Therefore, losing teeth is not only a dental issue and may be associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The results of some studies have made this connection even stronger. In a large study of more than 28,000 people over the age of 50 in 14 European countries, those with better chewing ability performed better in cognitive tests. They remembered words better, were more accurate in mental calculations, and spoke more fluently. Another study on people aged 55 to 80 found that those who retained more natural teeth had stronger long-term memory and semantic memory.

How does chewing help memory?

Scientists still do not fully understand all the details of this relationship, but several strong hypotheses have been proposed. One of the most important is related to the neural connection between the chewing system and the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a key role in learning and forming new memories and is one of the first areas affected in Alzheimer’s disease.

Some researchers also believe that chewing, especially when eating relatively hard foods, increases blood flow to the brain. Experiments with chewing gum have also supported this hypothesis.

Mats Trulsson, professor at the School of Dental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, says: “Chewing acts like a pump and sends more blood to the brain.”

According to him, this process can keep the brain more active and alert.