‘Chew your food at least 32 times before swallowing’ is a theory we have all grown up listening to.
Chewing usually helps break down the food into smaller particles, which further get mixed with the saliva, increasing the surface area and making it easier for nutrients to be broken down for absorption.
So does chewing your food 32 times help it digest? Let’s start with understanding what chewing your food means.
It is the process of mastication, in other words, the process of digesting your food starts from your mouth, with the function of chewing.
As per Indian doctor Richa Garg, the tradition of chewing food 32 times is linked to the number of teeth we have.
In other words, it simply means chewing 32 times is chewing food once with each tooth.
This number is just given for a fair idea to establish an easy gut-brain connection for better digestion.
Chewing your food slowly not only breaks down the food more efficiently but also gives enough time to your brain to send out signals to your gut to release digestive juices and enzymes.
