Premastication
Encyclopedia
Premastication or pre-chewing is the act of chewing food for the purpose of physically breaking it down in order to feed another that is incapable of masticating
the food by themselves. This is often done by the mother or relatives of a baby to produce baby food
capable of being consumed by the child through the weaning
process. The chewed food in the form of a bolus
is transferred from the mouth of one individual to another, either directly mouth-to-mouth, via utensils, hands, or further cooked or processed prior to feeding. Many modern societies have strong aversions toward premastication, which has been compared to the aversion towards breastfeeding
in the same societies during previous generations.
Premastication and mouth-to-mouth feeding in humans is postulated to have evolved from the regurgitation of food from parent to offspring or male to female (courtship feeding) and has been been observed in numerous mammals and animals of other species.
In many human cultures, the act of premastication and direct mouth-to-mouth feeding is linked with the showing of affection, known as kiss feeding. This form of feeding is believed to have evolved into the modern human acts of kiss
ing and french kiss
ing.
in the pre-chewed foods, these benefits conferred outweighed any risks of the practice faced during the evolution of humans.
ing and premastication have most likely evolved from the similar relationship-based feeding behaviours.
Mastication
Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes. During the mastication process, the food is positioned between the teeth for grinding by...
the food by themselves. This is often done by the mother or relatives of a baby to produce baby food
Baby food
Baby food is any food, other than breastmilk or infant formula, that is made specifically for infants, roughly between the ages of four to six months to 2 years. The food comes in multiple varieties and tastes, can be produced by many manufacturers, or may be table food that the rest of the family...
capable of being consumed by the child through the weaning
Weaning
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk.The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk...
process. The chewed food in the form of a bolus
Bolus
-Medicine:* Bolus , the administration of a drug, medication or other substance in the form of a single, large dose* Bolus , a tissue equivalent substance used in radiation therapy...
is transferred from the mouth of one individual to another, either directly mouth-to-mouth, via utensils, hands, or further cooked or processed prior to feeding. Many modern societies have strong aversions toward premastication, which has been compared to the aversion towards breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...
in the same societies during previous generations.
Premastication and mouth-to-mouth feeding in humans is postulated to have evolved from the regurgitation of food from parent to offspring or male to female (courtship feeding) and has been been observed in numerous mammals and animals of other species.
In many human cultures, the act of premastication and direct mouth-to-mouth feeding is linked with the showing of affection, known as kiss feeding. This form of feeding is believed to have evolved into the modern human acts of kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
ing and french kiss
French kiss
A French kiss is a kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the partner's lips or tongue and usually enters his or her mouth. A French kiss is a slow passionate kiss which is usually considered intimate, romantic, erotic or sexual...
ing.
Health
The act of premastication is commonly found in all human societies and populations, although less prevalent in some than others. The evolution and selective advantage of premastication behaviours is that doing so allows in infant to supplement breast milk for nutrition by providing access to more macro and micro-nutrients. Although disease can be transmitted through salivaSaliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
in the pre-chewed foods, these benefits conferred outweighed any risks of the practice faced during the evolution of humans.
Advantages
- Complementary to breastfeeding in the health practices of infants and young children, providing large amounts carbohydrate and protein nutrients not always available through breast milk and micronutrients such as ironIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, zincZincZinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, and vitamin b12Vitamin B12Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
which are essential but present mainly in meat. - Provides immediate and long-term immunological resistance to infections and inhibits immunological hypersensitivity such as asthma through the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, growth factors, and nutrient transporters in the mother's saliva
- Premasticated foods allow for better infant digestion through the presence of saliva enzymes lacking in infants
Disadvantages
- Premastication can transmit a wide range of diseases and pathogens from infected parents to their infants including HIV-AIDS from their saliva and open mouth ulcerMouth ulcerA mouth or oral ulcer is an open sore in the mouth, or rarely a break in the mucous membrane or the epithelium on the lips or surrounding the mouth. The types of mouth ulcers are diverse, with a multitude of associated causes including: physical abrasion, acidic fruit, infection, other medical...
, as well as possibly hepatitis B virus and Helicobacter pyloriHelicobacter pyloriHelicobacter pylori , previously named Campylobacter pyloridis, is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium found in the stomach. It was identified in 1982 by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, who found that it was present in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers, conditions that were...
. - Saliva can actively transmit various drugs and pharmacoactive substances
Kiss Precusor
Premastication/kiss-feeding or kissing has between mother and infant has been observed in all human cultures, with kissing believed to be a socially ritualized from of feeding premasticated food.The similarity between kiss-feeding and human kisses (e.g. French kiss) are very similar in its execution; in the former, the tongue is used to push food from mother to child with the child receiving both the mother's food and tongue in sucking movements, and the latter simply forgoes the premasticated food. In fact, observations across various species and cultures confirms that the act of kissKiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
ing and premastication have most likely evolved from the similar relationship-based feeding behaviours.