Does chewing ability influence cognitive and systemic health during aging?

There is a growing body of literature which suggests that oral health and mastication can influence cognitive and systemic health during aging. However, it is currently unclear whether oral health, masticatory efficiency, cognitive health and systemic health merely deteriorate independently with age, or whether mechanisms exist linking mastication to cognitive and systemic health directly. In a recent paper published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, Jon Day and colleagues review the extent to which reduced mastication influences cognitive and systemic health during aging.

Highlights

• A reduction masticatory efficiency during aging can impact cognitive health.
• Poor oral health and a loss of masticatory efficiency during aging can impact systemic health.
• Masticatory efficiency is a modifiable factor which influences the risk of poor cognitive health.
• Oral health is a modifiable factor which influences the risk of poor systemic health.
• Controlled longitudinal trials should clarify how mastication influences cognitive/systemic health during aging.

 

Download the paper here.