6 SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHEWING GUM.
Chewing gum is something you probably don’t think of. Maybe you keep a pack in your bag for whenever you feel like chewing it. This brings back memories of our high school days when we chew gum throughout the day, blowing bubbles and making funny sounds with the gum. It was a fun thing to do, but what if not chewing gum like we used to? We’re missing out on a lot of things.
Chewing gum comes from tree bark, but nowadays, chewing gum is mainly made up of synthetic rubber. It is an indigestible, sticky, rubbery substance that’s chewed but not swallowed. The exact recipe for a stick of chewing gum is a secret, but manufacturers usually combine gum, resin, softeners, flavoring, and even anti-oxidants.
Chewing gum is not a new thing. Records show that people have been chewing gum in various forms. Various forms of chewing gum have been in existence as far back as the stone age. In ancient times, it wasn’t commercialized but was taken for its therapeutic properties.
As we all know, too much of everything is bad. Chewing gum too much can cause problems. Excessive gum chewing has been found to cause migraines, especially in young adults.
Chewing gum every day has a lot of health benefits. In case you’re wondering what benefits we can get from chewing gum, we’ve got some to share with you in this article.
6 SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHEWING GUM.
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Improves breath
What’s your go trick for freshening your breath while you’re out? For most people, it’s grabbing a mint sweet or chewing a mint-flavored gum. One reason your mouth stinks is because of a lack of salivary flow and the growth of excess bacteria. Chewing gum stimulates your salivary glands and keeps your mouth fresh all day by killing the nasty bacteria. To go about this, you need a sugar-free mint flavor gum.
It seems the key to picking the best breath-freshening gums is to find those with flavors that come from plant oils, which fight bacteria and don’t just mask the odor.
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Help cigarette smokers quit
Quitting smoking can be a tough thing to do, but it’s possible. When trying to quit smoking, most people would do everything they can. We all know that chewing gum is no magic that smokers need to quit, but products like Nicorette gum aim to help. Chewing gum helps to provide a handy distraction whenever you get a craving, as this provides your mouth with another task.
The Nicorette gum delivers a controlled amount of Nicotine into your system which attempts to reduce your cravings.
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It protects the teeth
This is probably one fact about chewing gum that most people know. The American Dental Association advises that you chew gum for 20 minutes after meals. This helps reduce plaque, promote tooth enamel, reduce cavities and reduce gingivitis. This works by increasing the production of saliva in the mouth and removing food particles in the teeth, which otherwise leads to tooth decay. The saliva further helps keep the enamel strong by supplying it with calcium and phosphate to strengthen it.
Sugar-free gum is effective in preventing tooth decay, with its effect similar to that of toothpaste and mouthwash that contains fluoride. In addition to chewing gum after meals is that it gives a quick burst of sweetness that will help reduce your cravings for desserts. An extra boost to prevent tooth decay is to choose gums that contain extra minerals.
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Improves memory and concentration.
Do you struggle to focus throughout the day? If your answer is yes, you might need to chew gum.
If you’re engaged in a task that requires a lot of brain work, you could do better at it by chewing gum. Studies have shown that eating gum is linked to an increase in mental performance and cognitive functions like concentration and memory, which were seen when research participants chewed gum when involved in a range of tests. It is believed that the increased blood flow to the brain causes the boost observed, which increases oxygen to the brain and enhances memory and other cognitive function.
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Increase alertness
Another common issue for adults across the world is staying awake. Most people cannot function at their best unless they have 6 to 8 hours of sleep, and it’s often the case that they miss this sleep. Not getting enough sleep or not having enough quality sleep makes it hard for us to stay awake during the day. You don’t have to worry about that, as chewing gum saves the day.
Instead of filling your stomach with so many coffee and caffeine pills, you can stay alert by chewing a stick of gum. The movement of your jaw is said to combat sleepiness during the day by increasing activity. The stimulation of the nerves linked to the arousal increases the flow of blood to the brain, making you more alert.
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It helps to reduce stress and anxiety
We all get stressed from activities of the day from time to time, but when stress and anxiety become a daily thing, you’ve got to take action.
There are many other ways to get rid of stress and anxiety, but if you need an easy method to implement, you just need to get chewing gum.
Psychologists have known that chewing gum helps ease tension and release nervous energy by reducing the stress hormone cortisol in the body. Chewing on some gum can be a great substitute for nervous habits like leg shaking and nail-biting when you’re feeling anxious.
When you chew gum in an emotionally charged situation, you are likely to feel calmer and more alert.
There are more to these points listed above.
What are some other benefits of chewing gum, you know?
Share with us in the comment section.