The science behind eating with your hands often gets hidden behind biased and racist views.
Over centuries, indigenous ways of life have been altered due to 'modern' or colonial mindsets.
Eating with our hands is one example.
Over half the world traditionally ate with their hands.
Unfortunately today, it has come to a point where people need to ask the question "why do people eat with their hands?"
Anyone who takes part in this practise can speak to how the dining experience just 'hits different'
Now, there actually may be a reason for this positive feeling people get when eating with their hands.
The ancient Parthatha Guna Cinthamani text states eating with your hands enhances the taste of the food and can improve your mood.
Modern day researchers have written about how the sensory response we get from touching our food elevates our desire, perception and connection to our food.
A journal review on Tamil Siddha Food Customs states, our digestion process starts before we actually put food in our mouth. And this is because the tips of our fingers have thousands of nerve endings.
“When you use your finger tip to pick up food, the nerve endings in your fingers relay the message to the brain and send signals to the body releasing digestive juices and enzymes.”
Now according to the Tamil Siddha system of medicine and a few other traditional systems of medicine, the nerve endings on each finger tip is connected to organs part of different systems within our body. Of course, the nerve endings are not limited to the organs within these systems but what an interesting observation our ancestors have made.
Majority of these traditional systems on go to state that each of these systems have characteristics that are similar to and are associated with one of the five elements.
Thumb - Fire - Digestive System
Index Finger - Air - Respiratory System
Middle Finger - Ether - Circulatory System
Ring Finger - Earth - Musculoskeletal System
Pinky Finger - Water - Urinary and Reproductive System
Which is why eating with your hands is also seen as an act that helps maintain balance and mindfulness within you.
In addition, research also suggests that eating with your hands may have hygiene benefits. Studies have found that the natural oils and enzymes present in our hands can act as antibacterial agents, potentially reducing the risk of foodborne illness compared to using utensils that may harbour bacteria.
The act of touching food with your hands allows you to assess its temperature and texture more accurately, helping you avoid consuming overly hot or spoiled food.
Overall, eating with your hands can promote both physical and emotional well-being, making it a beneficial practice beyond cultural tradition.
The topic of how our ancestors viewed food, medicine, and health is a very dense topic.
I look forward to sharing the more I learn!
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