New: The Pros and Cons of Chewing Gum
9 "Best" Reasons for Loving Chewing Gum
The Healthiest Reason: Preventing Cavities
Scientific Basis: A research report from Indiana University and the University of Puerto Rico指出, after meals or snacks, chewing sugar-free gum helps clear food debris from between teeth and neutralizes acids produced by plaque, preventing cavities and protecting teeth.
Health World Tips：
Sugar or sucrose-containing gum offers minimal benefits for oral health. Some microorganisms in the mouth can ferment these sugars to produce acids, which can damage teeth. Sugar-free gum can inhibit this acid-producing process, minimizing the acidity in the mouth. Therefore, consumers are advised to choose sugar-free gum containing xylitol or sorbitol.
The Most Direct Reason: Cleaning the Mouth
Scientific Basis: Experts have proven that chewing gum increases the flow and distribution of saliva. Saliva secretion plays a crucial role in the mouth, providing a mechanical rinse for the teeth and oral cavity. Experiments show that chewing mint-flavored gum can reduce bad breath caused by food, alcohol, and tobacco.
Health World Tips：
Before a date or an interview, it's best to chew mint-flavored gum to keep your breath fresh and make a good impression on the other person. However, chewing gum is only an auxiliary cleaning method for teeth and cannot replace brushing.
The Most Relaxed Reason: Stress Relief
Scientific Basis: Psychological tests show that chewing gum helps to relieve tension and reduce anxiety levels.
Health World Tips：
Workplace stress can make every office worker feel tense or anxious at times. It's recommended to always keep a pack of gum in your desk drawer, giving you an extra trick to de-stress. If you accidentally swallow a piece of gum due to nervousness, there's no need to be afraid. It will pass through your digestive system and be excreted without causing any harm to your body.
The Most Amazing Reason: Improving Memory
Scientific Basis: British scientists once conducted a word recall experiment on 75 university students. The results showed that the group who chewed gum scored over 36% higher than the group who did not.
Health World Tips：
Those who are not satisfied with their memory can give it a try. At the very least, mint-flavored gum can refresh the mind and help improve work efficiency.
The Simplest Reason: Enjoying the Fun of Chewing
Scientific Basis: Although chewing gum is a type of pleasurable food, its ingredients do not contain substances that cause psychological or physical dependence, and it won't harm the body like smoking or alcohol addiction. If you always have the desire to chew gum, it's just because you're attracted to the fun of chewing, and it won't lead to a dependency on gum.
Health World Tips：
To enjoy the fun of chewing, you might as well choose sugar-free gum. It won't make you gain weight and satisfies your desire to chew, killing two birds with one stone.
The Most Helpless Reason: Reducing Smoking
Scientific Basis: An American experiment proved that chewing gum helps people control their nicotine cravings. Smokers who do not chew gum have significantly stronger cravings and more severe symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Health World Tips：
Even if gum can't help you quit smoking completely, it can at least help you smoke a few less cigarettes, which is beneficial to your health.
The Most Overlooked Reason: Driving Away Drowsiness
Scientific Basis: Experiments show that compared to sugar gum, xylitol gum produces an endothermic effect when it dissolves, making you feel incredibly refreshed after chewing. Combined with the mint flavor, it's a good choice for fighting drowsiness.
Health World Tips：
When you feel sleepy at work, chewing a few pieces of mint-flavored xylitol gum can have an unexpected refreshing effect. Also, when working late at night or driving for a trip, it's a good idea to have some mint-flavored gum on hand to prevent drowsiness.
The Least Known Reason: Preventing Mouth Ulcers
Scientific Basis: The Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences conducted a comparative trial on people prone to mouth ulcers. The results showed that the incidence of mouth ulcers in the gum-chewing group was 50%, while in the non-gum-chewing group it was 100%. There was also a significant difference in the severity of the ulcers; all ulcers in the experimental group were Grade I, while the control group's were Grades II to IV.
Health World Tips：
People with irregularities in their digestive or endocrine systems are prone to mouth ulcers. It is recommended that such people chew gum frequently to reduce the incidence of mouth ulcers.
The Negative Effects of Frequent Chewing Gum on the Body
Medical experts do not advocate promoting chewing gum as a fashion, especially as excessive or prolonged chewing can have adverse health effects.
First, most chewing gum uses sucrose as a sweetener. When chewing gum, sugar stays in the mouth for a long time, and cariogenic bacteria in the mouth will use sucrose to produce acidic substances that corrode teeth, leading to decalcification and inducing cavities.
Second, people who have had their teeth filled with mercury-containing materials should avoid chewing gum. A Swiss study found that frequent chewing of gum can damage dental filling materials, causing the mercury amalgam to be released, leading to excessive levels of mercury in the blood and urine, which can harm the brain, central nervous system, and kidneys.
Furthermore, chewing gum is not beneficial for children. Because children have poor self-control, keeping gum in their mouths all day could lead to swallowing or accidental inhalation into the trachea, endangering their lives. In addition, prolonged chewing keeps the chewing muscles constantly tense, which may lead to a habit of grinding teeth during sleep, affecting the child's sleep quality.
Doctors recommend that chewing gum should not exceed 15 minutes. People with stomach problems should also avoid excessive chewing, as prolonged chewing can reflexively secrete large amounts of gastric acid. On an empty stomach, this can cause nausea, loss of appetite, acid reflux, and long-term, it may lead to diseases like gastric ulcers and gastritis. Chewing gum should not be eaten in large quantities, and for some patients, it should not be eaten at all.
Many gastrointestinal experts believe that chewing gum on an empty stomach can cause adverse reactions such as nausea and dizziness, and can easily lead to gastritis and gastric ulcers. Chewing gum after a meal should not exceed 20 minutes. Otherwise, the digestive juices secreted while chewing can damage the gastric mucosa.
Pediatric neurologists believe that children who like to chew gum have their chewing muscles in a constant state of tension. Children should not chew gum more than 3-4 times a day, and for no more than 10-15 minutes after each meal. Never keep gum in the mouth all day, as the longer the time, the greater the harm. This is one of the reasons for teeth grinding and poor sleep in children.
Oral, gastrointestinal, and pediatric experts agree that children under 3 years of age and children suffering from gastritis, gastroduodenitis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer should not chew gum. In addition, the extracts contained in gum may cause allergic reactions with medications.