Chewing gum is not just for fun or to make bubbles, it is extended to health, as the health benefits of sugar-free gum are multiple. Follow the article for more.
Many people chew gum for fun or to make bubbles in it, but they do not know that sugar-free gum has many benefits for the body and it may come as a surprise.
In the following, let’s learn about the benefits of sugar-free gum, and a set of important tips.
Benefits of sugar-free gum
Among the most important of these benefits are the following:
1. Improves focus and memory
Chewing gum has been found to enhance mental performance and cognitive functions, such as: concentration, memory, and reaction times.
Chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain , which in turn increases the amount of oxygen available to the brain, which enhances memory and cognitive performance.
2. Improves alertness
It turns out that chewing gum can increase alertness .
It’s believed that the chewing motion of the jaw stimulates nerves and parts of the brain associated with arousal, as well as increasing blood flow, which may help people feel alert or awake for longer.
The mint flavor is also thought to be particularly useful for this.
3. Reduce stress and anxiety
One of the benefits of sugar-free gum is that it may help relieve nervous energy and increase feelings of calm, as it has been found that chewing gum helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which is released as a response from the body to emotional states.
Chewing gum is often a great alternative to nervous habits such as nail biting, leg rocking, or feeling stressed out.
4. Protects teeth
The American Dental Association recommends chewing gum for 20 minutes after meals, as it has been shown to reduce plaque, encourage tooth enamel, reduce cavities and reduce gingivitis .
The reason for this is the increased flow of saliva, which reduces the presence of acid on the teeth that causes and damages cavities.
5. Reduces heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease
For some people with reflux and heartburn, chewing gum after meals may help reduce acid in the esophagus by increasing the production of saliva that removes acid more quickly.
6. It refreshes the soul
One of the benefits of sugar-free gum and flavored with mint in particular is that it refreshes the smell of the mouth, and gets rid of bad smell, if any.
Chewing gum also reduces the level of bacteria in the mouth that can cause bad breath.
7. Help smokers quit smoking
Chewing gum is not a major factor in quitting smoking, but the use of products such as: nicotine gum , can help with this.
In addition, chewing gum helps reduce cravings in the mouth for smoking cigarettes.
8. Relieves dry mouth
Another oral health benefit of chewing sugarless gum includes combating dry mouth.
It was noted that chewing sugar-free gum stimulates saliva up to 10 times the rest rate.
9. Relieves earache during flights
One of the benefits of sugar-free gum is that it relieves earache caused by changes in air pressure during takeoff and landing on an airplane.
When chewing gum, saliva is produced, which can help balance pressure in the ears.
10. Helps to lose weight
Chewing gum helps suppress cravings and makes you eat less.
In fact, chewing gum helps curb cravings for sugary foods, which is one of the main reasons behind weight gain.
Chewing gum has been found to be an easy and practical tool for managing cravings and consumption of snacks, especially sweets.
Chewing gum also reduces hunger for food, possibly through alterations in gut hormone responses related to satiety.
Tips
To get the benefits of sugar-free gum, you should follow these tips:
You should refrain from chewing gum if you suffer from any type of jaw pain or temporomandibular disorder.
Do not make chewing gum a substitute for brushing and flossing , as these must be used to maintain the cleanliness and safety of oral and dental health.
You should choose sugar-free varieties to avoid damage to your teeth due to sugar.
You should chew gum with your mouth closed, to prevent large amounts of gas from entering the stomach.