Despite what you may have been told, chewing gum can actually be good for you. It may help you to lose weight, reduce cravings, and boost your brain function.
Reduces cravings
Using chewing gum after a meal may help reduce the urge to graze. Oftentimes, people tend to graze throughout the day, which can be unhealthy. A study found that chewing gum reduced the number of calories consumed after a 10-hour fast.
While it’s not surprising that chewing gum could have a number of benefits, research shows that it may help with one important thing: appetite control.
One study showed that chewing gum suppressed hunger and cravings for salty and sweet snacks. Another showed that gum could burn a small number of calories each day. In other words, it could lead to weight loss.
The jury is still out on whether or not chewing gum can help you lose weight. But in the meantime, there are other studies that show that chewing gum is a useful tool in helping you manage your snack intake.
One study conducted at Louisiana State University found that gum helped participants suppress their desire for snacks. In fact, gum chewers reported that they were satisfied with their lunch and had less of a desire for a second snack.
In a separate study conducted at the University of Rhode Island, researchers found that gum helped participants cut their caloric intake by more than 40 percent. In addition, chewing gum for one hour in the morning led to a 67-calorie reduction in the afternoon.
There are other studies that suggest that chewing gum can also help with other aspects of your health. In one study, chewing gum was found to wash away bacteria that cause periodontal disease.
Besides being calorie-free, chewing gum has other benefits, including increasing saliva flow and improving oral health. These factors, along with other perks, can help you stay on track with your diet.
Lowers acid levels in esophagus
Whether you have heartburn or you are worried about GERD, lowering acid levels in esophagus may be a good idea. Stomach acid can cause irritation and inflammation in the esophagus, and it can affect your digestion. It can also cause pneumonia and erosion of the enamel in the lungs.
To determine if you are experiencing reflux, your doctor may order a pH test. An esophageal pH test is an outpatient procedure that consists of placing a special device in your esophagus. This will measure the amount of stomach acid that comes into your esophagus over a period of 24 hours.
This measurement is not affected by the types of food you eat. You will be asked to keep a diary of your symptoms and the foods you eat. Then, your doctor will download the data from the esophageal pH monitoring device and analyze the severity of the reflux.
If the results of the esophageal pH testing indicate GERD, your doctor may recommend taking medication to help control your acid level. This is most often done with proton pump inhibitors, such as lansoprazole (brand name: Prevacid), esomeprazole (brand name: Nexium), or dexlansoprazole (brand name: Dexilant). These drugs work by blocking the production of acid.
A second device can also be used to monitor intragastric acidity. This is done by attaching a pH probe to the distal esophagus. The probe will send the information to a wearable device.
The esophageal pH test can be performed under anesthesia. An endoscope is used to place the device in your esophagus. It is a thin tube that has a camera and light.
This test is not usually needed for children. In some cases, a wireless esophageal pH test is required before a transoral incisionless fundoplication procedure.
Fights sleepiness
Keeping awake in a pinch is no easy task, but chewing gum has been known to ward off the drowsy gander. Whether you’re sitting at your desk, in your car or at home, the caffeine-rich confection can help you keep your sanity intact.
A study conducted by the Department of Psychology at Coventry University has put the chewing gum to the test. In short, the aforementioned confection was administered to a group of undergraduates over the course of three days. They were tested for a number of metrics, including the following: brainwaves, eye-hand coordination, sex chemistry and, most importantly, sleepiness. Interestingly, the results were deemed to be positive. They were awarded course credit for their efforts. In addition to a hefty tuition bill, these students were also given a freebie of the chewing sort.
While not the biggest dud on the test subject’s bookshelf, the aforementioned confection has been credited with the following: a.) improving your sleep quality and b.) reducing your salivary cortisol levels. The aforementioned beverage may also lower your stomach acid levels. It isn’t for nothing that humans have been chewing gum for thousands of years. Those who haven’t opted for the gum of your dreams should do so before they embark on a journey down the dark and dank labyrinth.
The aforementioned confection may not be for everyone, but it can certainly prove to be a worthy competitor to coffee in the battle to stay awake. In fact, one study claimed that participants who consumed the aforementioned confection were able to burn as many calories as they would while sleeping. On top of that, the aforementioned substance has a number of other benefits, from easing indigestion to eliminating nausea.
Helps you lose weight
Whether you want to lose weight or just cut calories, chewing gum is a great tool to reduce your snacking. It can help you stop mindless munching, reduce your desire for sweets, and even save you a few extra calories each day.
However, it won’t do much for you unless you are eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. In addition, there’s no guarantee that chewing gum will help you shed pounds. It’s also important to note that there are a variety of different types of gum, so be sure to read the ingredients before buying.
The American Dental Association recommends you chew five to six pieces of gum each day. You should also make sure to choose gum without artificial colors and sweeteners.
Some studies have suggested that chewing gum helps you lose weight by increasing the number of calories burned each day. One study found that gum chewers burned five percent more calories than non-chewers. Another study at Louisiana State University showed that gum can effectively control your appetite.
Although chewing gum has been associated with increased satiety, it’s not a magical solution to losing weight. It can be effective for some people, but for others it’s likely to increase their cravings.
In addition to helping you feel full, chewing gum may also change your digestive hormones. This can make it easier to stick to a low-calorie diet.
In one study, researchers found that participants who ate gum at the same time as a meal consumed 68 fewer calories at lunch. In addition, they resisted fattening snacks and had more satisfying meals.
Chewing gum can also help you prevent binging late at night. It’s a good idea to keep a few strips in your purse or briefcase. You should also pop a piece after a meal to signal your body that the meal is over.
May boost brain function
Various studies have suggested that chewing gum may improve brain function. Some studies have shown that it increases blood flow to the brain, which increases oxygen and glucose, and also improves memory performance. Some studies have found that it decreases stress in the workplace.
The hippocampus is a part of the brain responsible for memory. It is also linked to attention. This could be why chewing gum may enhance sustained attention performance.
The effects of chewing gum were studied in four different experiments. These included the effect of the amount of chewing, the speed of chewing, and the effect on the mood of the participants. The results were quite mixed.
The main effect was the speed of encoding information. This is because the gum improved alertness, reaction time, and the rate at which information is encoded. However, there was no clear benefit on inattention, fatigue, or anxiety.
The effects were not influenced by the flavor of the gum. In fact, the flavor of the gum did not moderate the enhancement of sustained attention performance.
In one study, researchers from Cardiff University studied the effects of chewing gum on multiple areas of potential. They tested subjects on their cognitive performance and mood, and then measured their heart rates and cortisol levels. The results were not terribly impressive, though.
Another study examined the effect of chewing force and the ability to memorize random nouns in a word recall test. The gum effect was not as pronounced as the one found in the previous study.
In addition to improving short-term memory, chewing gum also improved spatial working memory. This was attributed to the increased arousal and stimulation of the nerves in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.
