Chewing gum may not be bad after all

What is sweet, minty and sticky when you lick it? It is most likely to be chewing gum. Our moms tried to stop us from picking up the habit of gum chewing. Many have received punishment ranging from tedious house chores to grass cutting in school when caught chewing gums during the school assembly.

In spite of its bad reputation, though, chewing gum is an age-long habit that many do secretly or in the open. For instance, gum-chewing was once seen as an activity only for the lower class of society. Other still see it as a habit that depicts promiscuity, recklessness and disobedience; while others say that chewing gum causes tooth loss or gum diseases.

However, many studies that have been conducted lately suggest that chewing gum may not be so bad after all for adults. If you have a habit of popping a chewing gum in your mouth after a meal or when you are bored, then you may be glad to know that the health benefits of chewing gum are now being discovered on a daily basis.

Reduces stress

It was interesting and surprising to many when, in 2012, scientists discovered that chewing gum boosts — not reduces — brain activity in several ways.

Chewing gum does more than helping you fight sleep when you are reading, writing or working. It actually helps you learn. United Kingdom psychologists from the University of Northumbria found that people who chewed throughout tests of both long-term and short-term memory produced significantly better scores than people those who did not.

The lead author of the study, Andrew Scholey, states that the gum-chewers’ scores were 24 per cent higher than those that did not on tests of immediate word recall; and 36 per cent higher on tests of delayed word recall. They were also more accurate on tests of spatial working memory.

He says, “These results provide the first evidence that chewing gum can improve long-term and working memory. There are a number of potential explanations, but they are all very speculative.”

Improves memory

Still on how chewing gum boosts one’s ability to retain information. In March 2000, Japanese researchers showed that brain activity in the hippocampus, an area important for memory, increases while people chew.

Scholey adds, “One interesting thing we saw in our study was that chewing increased heart rate. Anything that improves delivery of things like oxygen in the brain, such as an increased heart rate, is a potential cognitive enhancer to some degree.”

Many can relate to this while multi-tasking or preparing for a big day, chewing gum relieves stress and tension. A research conducted on students who chew gum during exams shows that they tend to be more alert and focused.

Reduces anxiety

In a 40-person study of gum chewers averaging an age of 22 years old in 2008, gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 per cent during mild stress; and nearly 10 per cent in moderate stress.

Also, participants experienced greater levels of alertness when they chewed gum. Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over non-gum chewers by nearly 19 per cent during mild stress and eight per cent in moderate stress.

So, whenever you feel irritated or frustrated, you might find that chewing gum can help you relax.

Aids weight loss

If you are currently trying to lose weight, chewing gum can also prove to be beneficial for you.

Nutritionists have maintained over the years that chewing gum curbs appetites or food cravings. So, the next time you crave a snack or a second helping of party fried rice and chicken, pop a stick of gum into your mouth instead.

Contrary to what we were told and taught, chewing gum does not cause tooth aches or gum diseases. Rather, dentists say, it might just do the opposite.

Improves oral health

A dentist, Dr. Chuks Madueke, says if one is suffering from oral health problems like halitosis (bad breath) or gum infection, you might want to chew some gum to relieve the symptoms.

He says, “When you chew gum, your saliva production is also stimulated. Saliva has antibacterial properties that help flush out food debris, remaining sugars and other harmful acids in your mouth.

“We will recommend that the gun is sugar-free gum, as it has been found to be effective in protecting the enamel of your teeth. In fact, chewing on some sugar-free gum after meals can lessen tooth cavities.”

Adolescents may want to take it easy on chewing gum, though; as experts have fingered chewing gum as a cause of migraine in teenagers.

The findings, published in Paediatry Neurology, showed that 26 out of 30 patients with migraine who stopped chewing gum had significant improvement; and 19 had complete headache resolution. When 20 of the improved patients began chewing gum again, all of them reported an immediate relapse of symptoms.

But the jury is still out on the pros and cons of chewing this popular candy.

Copyright PUNCH.