By Jessica Feagin | Intern and UAB Community Health and Human Services Student

Most adults have chewed gum. Surprisingly, this little habit has some health benefits.

Chewing gum can decrease your waistline. A study by the University of Liverpool concluded that chewing gum can slightly curb your cravings, causing you to make better eating choices. In one study, gum chewers ate 36 fewer calories than those who didn’t chew gum. From chewing a stick of gum, you burn eleven calories an hour. Over time, those calories will add up. Chewing gum, (sugarless gum that is), keeps your teeth healthy by increasing saliva flow and removing food debris. An increase in saliva flow can reduce plaque acid, strengthen your teeth, and reduce tooth decay (SelectHealth, 2019). Chewing gum can improve memory by increasing blood flow to your brain.

Professor Andrew Sholey concluded that your short-term memory could be improved by 35 percent by chewing a stick of gum (Young, 2002). According to one study, chewing gum, especially mint flavored, can help fight drowsiness and sleepiness (Johnson et al., 2012). So, if you’re tired and need to stay alert, chew some gum. Chewing gum can also reduce heartburn and acid reflux by lowering the acid levels in your esophagus. In a 2011 study, it was concluded that chewing gum twice a day for two weeks reduced depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other mental illnesses (Sasaki-Otomaru, 2011).

Although chewing gum has tons of benefits, sugar-sweetened gum can be bad for your teeth because sugar is digested by the harmful bacteria in your mouth, causing a build-up of plaque and tooth decay on your teeth over time (West, n.d.). With all the surprising health benefits of chewing gum, picking up a pack of sugarless gum from a convenience store or vending machine sounds like a good idea.

References

Johnson, A. J., Miles, C., Haddrell, B., Harrison, E., Osborne, L., Wilson, N., & Jenks, R. (2012). The effect of chewing gum on physiological and self-rated measures of alertness and daytime sleepiness. Physiology & Behavior, 105(3), 815-820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.10.020

Sasaki-Otomaru, A. (2011). Effect of regular gum chewing on anxiety, mood, and fatigue levels in healthy young adults. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 7(1), 133-139. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901107010133

Surprising benefits of chewing gum | SelectHealth. (2019, January 3). SelectHealth.org. https://selecthealth.org/blog/2017/04/surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum

West, H. (n.d.). Chewing gum: Good or bad? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chewing-gum-good-or-bad

Young, E. (2002, March 13). Chewing gum improves memory. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2039-chewing-gum-improves-memory/