Archives
International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Review Article
Dietary habits and craniofacial ontogeny: The role of processed foods in mandibular growth restriction
Swathi S, Sathyakumar M, Magesh KT, Aravindhan R, Sivachandran A, Swaathi R, Richa Singh, Nivedhidha M
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 240-245
Received on: 05/06/2026
Revised on: 19/07/2026
Accepted on: 22/08/2026
Published on: 30/09/2026
-
Swathi S, Sathyakumar M, Magesh KT, Aravindhan R, Sivachandran A, Swaathi R, Richa Singh, Nivedhidha M( 2026).
Dietary habits and craniofacial ontogeny: The role of processed foods in mandibular growth restriction
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 5), 240-245.
-
click to view the cite format
Abstract
Significant changes in human mandibular morphology have been linked to modern dietary modifications. This narrative review discusses the association between consumption of processed food and craniofacial development. Archaeological records indicate significant anatomical differences between hunter-gatherer and agrarian societies. Those alterations were boosted by later industrial food preparation. Ultra-processed foods, always soft in texture, need less chewing and do not provide appropriate mechanical stimulation for normal maxillofacial osseous and muscular development. Experimental studies have shown certain cellular mechanisms such as altered bone metabolism, disruption of the osteoblastic-osteoclastic balance, and differential response between mandibular and maxillary structures. Clinical research in paediatric populations supports lower interdental space and increased prevalence of malocclusion in children with mostly soft, processed meals. The relative influence of genes or environment is still debated, however there is compelling evidence that craniofacial development is malleable and responds to mechanical pressure.
Keywords
Ultra-processed foods, Industrial food preparation, Orthodontics, Mechanical pressure, Clinical research.
-
Full Article PDF (3)
Copy Rights
© The Author(s) 2026. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
