Do ultra-processed foods change the shape of our jaws?

What does nutrition have to do with the development of our jaws?

A number of studies based on skull measurements of individuals from different populations have shown that the shape of the human jawbone is related to diet.

Populations dependent on agriculture have been found to have differently shaped, usually smallerjawbones than hunter-gatherers. This has been found in populations that lived on either side of the river transition to agriculture and in it live at a similar time but with a different diet. In the latter case, experts found the jawbones in children were similar before they were old enough to chew.

Researchers have even found differences in the size and shape of people’s jawbones who lived before and after industrializationa time when people began to rely more on processed foods.

Although the teeth have also become smaller over time, experts say the size of the jawbone has decreased to a greater extent. Scientists say this could explain why many people today suffer from crowded teeth, crooked teeth or a misaligned bite.

“We can really see (malocclusion) accelerate if we move to an industrialized diet,” says Dr Carolyn Rando, associate professor of bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology at UCL.

The shift to smaller jawbones has also been linked to changes in the way we speak, allowing people to form ‘f’ and ‘v’ sounds.

These associations are still being investigated. However, one theory is that eating hard, chewy foods such as raw vegetables and meat requires greater bite force, with animal research showing that more forceful chewing is required. stimulates growth of the jawbone.

What is the link with UPFs?

UPFs tend to be very soft, and some experts warn that this can contribute to children developing smaller jawbones.

The latest fuss appears to have arisen following a pilot study published last year by a team in Spain. This work It involved researchers who studied the diets of 25 children aged three to five years and analyzed the data alongside measurements relating to their teeth and skulls.

The results showed that children whose diets consisted mainly of liquids and/or semi-solid foods had smaller gaps between their lower teeth than those who ate mainly a solid diet. These gaps are filled when adult teeth emerge.

However, the study was small, did not look at whether the foods were UPFs, did not follow the children in looking at the position of their permanent teeth, and could not prove cause and effect.

Prof. Tim Spector, who is best known for his work in gut health, told the Telegraph: “The strongest current theory about why jaws have shrunk so quickly is that we actually feed our children baby food all their lives. – so they just don’t develop the jaw muscles or the size of the jaw, and you’re not really adapted for chewing.

“This is just a sign of how Western countries like Britain and the US have succumbed to this wave of soft, ultra-processed food that is now the staple diet of children, many of whom are never really fed hard, good food.”

What do others say?

Dr. Hayley Llandro, director of external affairs at the British Orthodontic Society, said changes in jaw development through diet could be possible but would likely have taken place over many years of evolution. “There are not only environmental factors in the development of the skeleton and teeth – genetics also play an important role. Unfortunately, simply eating more foods that require chewing will not undermine our pre-existing genetic tendencies,” she said.

But Llandro added that limiting consumption of UPFs could be helpful because they are often high in sugar and could lead to tooth decay.

“We also want to tell parents not to worry about feeding their children hard foods just to avoid needing braces, as this is not a guarantee.”

Rando said there is an ongoing debate about whether the shift in the shape of the jawbone was an evolutionary change or just a response to a shift in the environment. “It’s clear that anthropologists (and) archaeologists can look at long-term changes, while orthodontists only look at what they see in their clinical practice,” she said.

“It may be that the small tooth size is more evolutionary and genetically determined, but the small jaw size seems to be more related to our environment, namely food.”

But Rayon was less convinced that UPFs would result in a dramatic shift toward small jaws. “The softness (of the food), which is the most important thing, has been the same for a number of years,” Rando said, noting that even the Victorians often ate white bread and jam.

What about the TikTok trend of ‘meowing’?

The idea that the shape of a person’s face can be dramatically changed through a series of exercises has spawned a slew of videos on social media, and is being dubbed ‘meowing’ after the controversial British orthodontists Dr. John Mewand his son Dr. Mike Mew, who came up with the approach. The latter has recently been deleted.

The British Orthodontic Society said it would “remind the public that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that patients can change the shape of their face or improve their intelligence by chewing or holding the teeth and tongue in a closed position or even any kind of facial movements.”