Rosie comments... on chewing research
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30 January 2025
Rosie Nicholson, Director of Speech Therapy Surrey and London, comments on recent research exploring the role chewing plays in the development of the jaws.
The research, carried out by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Catholic University of Valencia, reveals a link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to children “developing smaller jawbones”.​​
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Rosie comments: "while I don’t think we can draw a clear conclusion from this research that the shape of children’s jaws is changing slowing due to diet, this research brings up some important issues.
“Chewing is an important part of a child’s development. It strengthens the tongue and jaw muscles, which are essential for various speech sounds (t, d,k, g). A diet that mainly consists of soft foods in early childhood could lead to sleep-disordered breathing and speech issues, which would need to be corrected with specialist techniques such as myofunctional therapy.”
You can read more about Myofunctional therapy on our website.
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