Jakarta –
Often times we really want to want certain foods to drool after seeing a meal video or the appearance of food in a restaurant. It turns out that this can be explained scientifically.
Not only when watching mukbang videos, even seeing food pictures or just thinking about them can make saliva flood your mouth. Chemist Hadi Fares explained that saliva has various functions, one of which is the most relevant is to help the eating process.
Reported by Mental Floss, saliva functions to lubricate food, help the process of chewing, and allows us to taste taste. In addition, saliva contains enzymes that start the digestive process even before food is swallowed.
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Saliva production is controlled by the nervous system that works automatically, without the need to realize. This production can be triggered by odor, taste, or even the movement of jaw muscles.
When you see, kiss, or think of food, the brain sends a signal to the main saliva center in the medulla oblongata. Furthermore, the brain releases neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and norepinephrine, which then activates the nerves to give orders to the salivary glands to produce saliva.
The main saliva is located near the upper teeth, under the tongue, and at the bottom of the mouth. Meanwhile, minor salivary glands are spread on the lips, the inside of the cheeks, and layers of mouth and throat.
In English, the condition of “drool” is called Mouth Watering, which literally illustrates the situation where the mouth is really filled with saliva.
Saliva itself is divided into two types, namely mucus and serous. Mucus saliva has a thick, sticky, and full mucus consistency. Meanwhile, serous saliva almost entirely consists of water, and this is what floods your mouth when you kiss, see, or think of delicious food.
This article has been aired on CNN Indonesia with the title “It turns out that this is a scientific reason to see food can drool right away”
(Yms/adr)
