Why Does Food Make Your Mouth Water?

Just try and think about a delicious hamburger. Do you have that image in your head? Well, some of you will have that mouth-watering feeling (especially those who are hungry). But why do our mouths fill with watery saliva when we see or think about food?

Well, to understand this, we must tell you how saliva works and what it does. First of all, you need to know that digestion begins from the moment we take the first bite of food and we start chewing. And who helps us do this? Well, saliva is the right answer! It helps us eat by lubricating and moisturizing our food. It also contains special enzymes that break down the food before it reaches the stomach. So, thanks to this cool saliva, the digestion process begins before we even swallow!

There are tow types of saliva: mucous (yuck!) and serous (yes!). Mucous saliva is the thick, sticky one (yuck again). Serous saliva is the exact opposite: it’s nearly all water and it’s what appears in your mouth when you think, smell or see delicious food. You might have noticed, however, that this reaction does not appear when you see packaged food. It’s because your brain cannot anticipate how that food will taste because it cannot “see” it.

So … Now you know! The phrase “mouth-watering” is actually accurate! It’s just your body’s way of telling you that it is really excited about eating! We can almost hear it whisper “That cake looks delicious and I cannot wait to taste it!” and then, almost immediately, you can feel your mouth watering.

But, if you’re on a diet, you shouldn’t let your salivary glands fool you! Or, you should! Your choice!