Mastication is crucial for digestion because it breaks food into smaller pieces, making it easier to absorb nutrients.

Digestive Importance

Mastication is not only eating but also promotes jaw strength and saliva production, which prevents tooth decay.

Dental Health

The term 'mastication' is rarely used metaphorically, focusing on the literal action of chewing.

Not Metaphorical

 as opposed to food that requires mastication -- chewing -- or crunchy food. So all of this data, where we need to look at the cellular level, has been generated using animal models.