Chewing gum has been around for thousands of years. Both the ancient Mayans and Aztecs chewed a substance called chicle to clean teeth, get rid of bad breathe, fight hunger, and quench thirst.
In Africa, the pink pulp of the African Star Apple, known locally as Alansa or Agbalumo can make a gum-like chewing substance when you chew you for long minutes.
Modern-day chewing gum be good for your health if you take note of some important points below. It is advisable to go for sugar-free gum can for oral health and beyond.
Here are benefits of chewing gum — including one or two that might surprise you.
1. Combating Bad Breath
Bad breath is something we will all experience at some point in our lives because we forgot to breach, or we are bleeding in some part of our months, or something. Strong-smelling foods like garlic, onions, and spices can leave a bad taste in your mouth and a foul odor in your nose. But bad breath can also be a symptom of more serious oral health conditions like gum disease or dry mouth. In any of these instances, getting flavored chewing gums won’t cure some of the conditions, but they can help mask bad breath quickly. Pop in a piece of your favorite minty sugar-free gum the next time you need some bad breath relief.
2. Preventing Tooth Decay
According to an experiment in the Journal of Oral Science, participants who chewed gum with the sugar-free sweetener xylitol had less oral bacteria in their mouth shortly after chewing.(Sweeteners have their own side effects but we may not focus much on that in this article. The American Dental Association (ADA) also states that people can reduce their tooth decay risk by chewing sugar-free gum right after eating.
Keep in mind that gum is not a substitute for regular brushing and cleaning between your teeth with floss, water flossers, interdental cleaners, and other products. Proper oral hygiene helps prevent plaque, gingivitis, tartar, cavities, and bad breath. Chewing sugar-free gum after dinner can help remove food and bacteria from your teeth until you make it to your toothbrush.
3. Increasing Saliva Flow
Most people don’t know that chewing gum can relieve the discomfort of dry mouth. Saliva does a lot of good for your mouth, and chewing gum helps promote saliva flow. People with dry mouths may experience discomfort eating, swallowing, or speaking. When you chew, your jaw muscles push on your salivary glands, releasing saliva. So, by chewing gum regularly, this can help increase saliva and relieve the symptoms of dry mouth.
Athletes, footballers especially are known for chewing gum a lot and use it to keep their mouth moist during games. Footballers cover a lot of ground during games. They are constantly running throughout their game and cover 10-11 km per game. This takes a lot of energy and produces a lot of sweat.
As a result, the mouth becomes quite dry without regular water breaks, as the players get dehydrated from running around. According to Science ABC, when you chew a piece of gum, your mouth makes saliva, as it contains enzymes that help break down food.
4. Whitening Teeth
You may be wondering: how does chewing gum whiten teeth? Some of our daily habits can lead to discoloration on teeth surfaces, including drinking coffee and smoking. Thankfully, whitening products can help remove some surface stains, including toothpaste, at-home whitening kits, and – for the purpose of this article – even chewing gum.
If you do not know, now you know that there are whitening chewing gums in stores today. These products are chewed after meals to help wash away food particles that could cause stains by stimulating salivary flow. Then, the whitening ingredients coat the teeth to help prevent future staining. However, it is important to note that teeth whitening treatments have also been known to increase teeth sensitivity, and chewing gum might help with that, too!
5. Stress relief
This part may help you a lot if you easily get stressed but be reminded that too much of every can be bad to your health. Research suggests that chewing gum can also relieve the stress of daily life. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research, participants who chewed gum regularly over a more extended period reported feeling less stressed than participants who didn’t chew gum.
Recent innovations like CBD chewing gum also boast anti-anxiety benefits. Preliminary research published in Neurotherapeutics suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) could be a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. And many people self-report CBD gum to help with a range of conditions — from social anxiety to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Further studies are being done on this topic, and you should always consult with your doctor before making a transition.
When you intake CBD through chewing gum, it’s absorbed through your cheek and goes directly into your bloodstream. This higher bioavailability could help increase CBD levels in the bloodstream, which might help you relax and reduce stress more quickly. Plus, CBD could offer other advantages for oral health as well.
Not only is chewing sugar-free gum just enjoyable, but it also comes with some major oral benefits — from battling bad breath to fighting tooth decay. Remember that chewing gum shouldn’t replace your oral care routine — keep brushing and flossing those teeth — but it certainly can provide a healthy treat after a meal.
