What Are The Benefits Of Chewing Gum Beyond Oral Health?

Chewing gum whitethorn beryllium much than a saccharine habit. It whitethorn boost endurance successful athletes and thief patients heal faster. However, scientists pass that kids and seniors are still near retired of nan evidence.

Study: Chewing Gum and Health: A Mapping Review and an Interactive Evidence Gap Map. Image credit: New Africa/Shutterstock.com

Chewing gum is highly popular. Most wellness professionals and others see it to amended oral health. Yet ample gaps stay successful our knowing of its benefits successful different areas. A caller study published successful Nutrients explored existent lit to place further chewing gum uses and outline gaps successful nan literature.

Introduction

The believe of chewing gum is apparently ancient. Natural resins were chewed arsenic acold backmost arsenic ancient Egypt and nan Mayan era. The modern shape of chewing gum arose successful nan 19th century, arsenic chicle (natural latex from nan sapodilla tree) became nan cardinal ingredient.

Chewing gum is simply a gum, aliases “insoluble, non-nutritive colloidal strategy that is inert and indigestible, " flavored and often sweetened to summation enjoyment. It keeps nan rima moist by promoting salivation; prevents caries, particularly erstwhile it contains non-fermentable sugars for illustration xylitol; reduces nan severity of conditions for illustration bad breath; and has non-oral wellness applications.

For instance, group trying to discontinue smoking chew nicotine gum to trim baccy craving. Post-operative patients chew it to get their intestinal movements going again. Athletes chew it to summation their performance. Others usage it to trim anxiety, summation alertness, and modulate their appetite.

Chewing gum is inexpensive and easy available, and because it is not a medicine, it is good tolerated by astir patients. If its wellness benefits are confirmed, this could make it a useful nationalist wellness tool. The existent mapping reappraisal intends to consolidate disposable knowledge connected chewing gum's uses different than oral health, while showing gaps that request to beryllium addressed successful early research.

The researchers utilized information from 5 databases, selecting them via cautiously refined searches. The type of gum, nan type of outcome, and nan study creation were each utilized to stratify nan type of study, and nan grounds gaps were identified.

Study findings

The last study included 260 studies examining nan usage of various types of chewing gum, including sugar-containing gum, sugar-free gum pinch aliases without xylitol, caffeinated gum, nicotine-containing gum, different bioactive compounds, and others that were not explicitly described. Of these, 155 were randomized controlled tests (RCTs), 36 were non-RCTs, 65 were reviews aliases meta-analyses, and 6 were surveys.

Geographically, astir records originated from nan USA (34) and China (32), followed by nan UK (26) and Turkey (26). Most studies were published betwixt 2015 and 2025, pinch 38 published successful 2024 alone. The authors noted that nan 2025 information were only partial, covering publications up to July 20th.

The results presented 3 main applications of chewing gum. First, it made group consciousness amended and execute much efficiently. For instance, it mightiness heighten sports capacity aliases intelligence processing. Others utilized it to trim worry and relieve accent aliases stabilize their mood. Some group utilized gum to power their metabolism.

Wellbeing and performance

Most sports-related studies reported connected caffeinated chewing gum, indicating its nexus pinch capacity enhancement. This type of gum reduces tiredness, expanding nan long of play. Moreover, it improves endurance and strength, while shortening guidance time.

Medical aid

Secondly, chewing gum was utilized arsenic a aesculapian aid. Of nan 40 studies assessing this role, 14 looked astatine its domiciled arsenic a smoking cessation aid, particularly nan nicotine-containing gum. It is besides valuable arsenic a smoking cessation tool, particularly successful encouraging compliance pinch replacement strategies complete time, which is intimately linked to semipermanent quitting. Interestingly, nicotine gum is established arsenic a quitting assistance each by itself. However, different nicotine transportation systems for illustration tegument patches aliases physics cigarettes person besides been explored for their imaginable usage successful operation pinch it.

Other applications successful this class see relieving thirst successful individuals pinch medically restricted fluid intake, specified arsenic during hemodialysis aliases congestive bosom failure. Its usage for comfortableness during childbirth, managing glucose levels successful pregnant women pinch diabetes, symptom relief, and managing gut illness were besides explored. Two studies examined ear, nose, and pharynx (ENT) disorders, 1 studied cognition successful Alzheimer’s, 1 looked astatine attraction successful ADHD, and 1 examined cardiac disorders.

Surgical/procedural aid

Finally, it aided circumstantial surgical procedures, arsenic reported successful 155 studies, chiefly during nan post-operative phase. This confirmed accrued gastric visualization during endoscopy, amended gut recovery, and little rates of intestinal paralysis, nausea, and vomiting aft surgery. Pain alleviation was enhanced, arsenic was diligent satisfaction.

Some wide-ranging and unique applications of chewing gum were observed. It offers a inexpensive and effective method of reducing hospitalization long aft surgery, particularly connected nan abdomen. It stimulates nan cephalic-vagal reflex and frankincense increases gut motility by representing “sham feeding.” It resembles nutrient intake because of nan chewing motion, while nary depletion occurs. This causes digestive hormones to beryllium secreted.

While nan study captured nan increasing liking successful chewing gum for wellness and well-being beyond oral health, astir studies were successful adults. The astir important grounds gaps interest young children and older adults, and small is known astir their capacity different than successful sports.

Twelve studies investigated its usage successful children, almost each successful surgical aliases procedural contexts (e.g., betterment aft appendectomy aliases spinal surgery). None explored its domiciled successful well-being aliases capacity successful children. Four studies were identified among older adults: 1 connected nickname memory, 1 connected Alzheimer’s cognition, and 2 connected post-operative gastrointestinal recovery.

Conclusions

Chewing gum is often utilized to amended capacity and well-being, thief group discontinue baccy smoking, and accelerate post-operative recovery. Further well-designed studies are required to representation nan applications of chewing gum successful improving nan wellness and well-being of older adults and children.

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