Chewing gum is one of the most readily available things in stores, which raises the question; is it actually good for you?
A selection of gum.
I mean, you’d assume so, with the lack of sugar and the availability… but guess what also has no sugar and is sold everywhere? That’s right: cigarettes… there’s no actual correlation here I’m just proving a point – sort of.
You can’t just assume because it looks healthy and is branded that way that it actually is, you’ve got to look at the research and see what that suggests.
Research actually suggests that chewing gum is good for you for the most part, for the following reasons.
Chewing gum burns around 11 calories per hour, which isn’t a lot, but it’s still more than if you didn’t chew gum. It also stops you craving extra snacks, according to the university of Liverpool, which could help your general health and your waistline.
A study conducted found that gum chewers ate around 36 calories less, on average, than the non gum chewers per day. Which, again, isn’t much but it’s still less, and is a good start to further calorie reduction.
It helps dental health, as long as it’s sugar free. Sugar free gum helps remove debris and general rubbish in your mouth if chewed long enough, improving your overall dental health. It also improves the flow of your saliva, which helps protect enamel and fight against the plaque that ruins your teeth over time.
The mint or ginger options can help eliminate drowsiness and nausea, research has shown. It has also shown that chewing gum twice daily for two weeks reduced anxiety, depression, fatigue, and other mental illnesses in patients who participated during a 2011 study.
Overall, if you like the taste, and it’s sugar free, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t chew gum. There are very few drawbacks to chewing it, and it can help you out in a multitude of ways. Just be warned though, chewing too much can have laxative effects…
