When we think about nutrition, we almost always picture the same key players: the mouth, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and, perhaps, the gut microbiota. However, the human body is not made up of isolated compartments. Eating is not just about introducing food into the digestive tract, it also involves salivating, swallowing, transporting, distributing fluids, activating defences, moving fats through the lymph, connecting tissues and supporting organs.

In recent years, three body structures have attracted particular interest: the tubarial salivary glands, the interstitium and the mesentery. All three demonstrate that nutrition, hydration, absorption, transport, immunity and metabolism are closely linked.

Tubarial salivary glands: eating well means swallowing well

In 2021, researchers identified previously unnoticed glandular structures at the back of the nasopharynx – near the region where the Eustachian tube opens. These glands did not fit with classical anatomical descriptions.

The tubarial salivary glands, as they came to be known, do not digest fats, do not absorb amino acids and do not regulate glucose, but they may play a role in something far more fundamental. They seem to keep a key area for swallowing moist and lubricated – but this area is not in the mouth.

Saliva contributes to the earliest stages of digestion. It helps to form a bolus of food, enables swallowing, plays a part in taste, and protects the mucous membranes. When its production or distribution is disrupted, it can........

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