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How does chewing make food easier for digestive enzymes to break down?

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USDA MyPlate dietary guidelines — human nutrition MyPlate, a revised set of dietary guidelines introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2011, divides the four basic food groups (fruits, grains, protein, and vegetables) into sections on a plate, the size of each section representing the relative dietary proportions of each food group. The small blue circle shown at the upper right illustrates the inclusion and recommended proportion of dairy products in the diet.

Chewing facilitates digestion by mechanically breaking down solid food into smaller particles, which significantly increases the surface area available for digestive enzymes to act upon.12

Because enzymatic reactions require direct contact between the enzyme and the food molecules, digestion is most efficient when bulk food is processed into smaller pieces, exposing more molecules for chemical breakdown. In addition to increasing surface area, the act of chewing softens tough fibers and mixes the food with saliva. This process hydrates the food and permeates it with salivary enzymes, such as amylase, which initiates the hydrolysis of starches. By reducing food to a manageable size and consistency, chewing ensures that enzymes can effectively access and hydrolyze complex nutrient molecules throughout the digestive process.213