Tag: Jaw strength

Studies have shown that our ancestors, who ate tougher, fibrous foods, had wider and stronger jaws compared to many people today whose diets consist of softer, processed foods. Chewing is a workout for your facial muscles, and incorporating specific foods that strengthen the jaw can contribute to better oral health and facial tone.

According to a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, choking is one of the biggest risks for anyone participating in an eating contest. However, elite competitive eaters have honed specific strategies to maximize their performance and minimize risks in a high-speed, high-stakes environment.

Professional competitive eater Joey Chestnut consumed 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes in 2013, demonstrating the extreme capabilities of trained eaters. For those curious about how to train for speed eating, the process is a disciplined regimen that goes far beyond a simple big appetite, focusing on physical preparation and mental technique.

According to a 2007 University of Pennsylvania study, a competitive eater was found to have a stomach capable of expanding to accept an almost unlimited volume of food. However, this remarkable gastric expansion is only one part of the complex process explaining how competitive eaters swallow so fast, relying on learned skills and physical training.

While the rise of processed and ultra-soft foods has made chewing easier, our ancestors' diets were rich in tougher, fibrous foods that required significant mastication. This shift has led to changes in jaw structure and oral health, raising the question of whether reintroducing hard foods is beneficial for modern diets.

A 2023 study published in the journal *Nutrients* found that a diet with a higher proportion of hard foods is linked to better cognitive function and brain activation. This compelling research highlights why we need to eat hard food for more than just satiation, but for overall physiological health.

The masseter, one of the human body's strongest muscles, is often underutilized due to our modern soft diets. For individuals seeking to engage and strengthen these important jaw muscles, the question arises: **what is the strongest chewing gum** on the market? The answer depends on your goal, ranging from natural resins to specially engineered products.