介绍： A hidden blood pump': How chewing more boosts your brain
At the most basic level, chewing breaks food down into small particles and moistens them with saliva so that they can be easily swallowed. Not only does chewing increase saliva production and the amount of digestive enzymes like amylase that help break ...

介绍： A hidden blood pump': How chewing more boosts your brain
At the most basic level, chewing breaks food down into small particles and moistens them with saliva so that they can be easily swallowed. Not only does chewing increase saliva production and the amount of digestive enzymes like amylase that help break down food, it also triggers the gut and pancreas to secrete juices that will help process food further, too.  
Nutrition and digestion aside, researchers are increasingly uncovering that chewing plays an important role in other aspects of our wellbeing–especially brain health—as we get older.
In a survey, participants with good chewing ability or those without dentures performed better on a battery of cognitive tests. They demonstrated significantly better word recall, verbal fluency, and numeracy skills than those with chewing problems.
But why does chomping ability have anything to do with memory? Some researchers point to the multiple neural circuits connecting our chewing apparatus to the hippocampus–the region of the brain responsible for spatial learning and making new memories. Others suggest that chewing, especially moderately hard substances, may increase blood flow to the brain.
"The theory is that chewing works like a pump, pumping blood to the brain," explains Mats Trulsson, professor in the department of dental health at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. This keeps the brain sharp and working well, he says.
In some instances, chewing has also been found to improve concentration in the general population. In an unrelated study of 80 participants, chewing improved alertness levels by 10% during a series of cognitive tasks. Gum-chewers also performed better on an intelligence test.