Chewing gums can save you from embarrassing moments. A piece of gum can save your first kiss and keep that strong post-lunch breath down. If you need to freshen your mouth during the day, a piece of gum can cut down any unpleasant smell. But the question is: Is chewing gum good for you? Are there benefits of chewing gums? And what are the pros and cons of being a gum lover?
Benefits of Chewing Gums
Contrary to common knowledge, chewing gum can do more for you. Here’s a rundown of chewing gum benefits:
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Helps to maintain healthy and clean teeth
Chewing a piece of gum a few minutes after a meal can do you a great deal of good. How does this work? Chewing a piece of sugar-free gum after eating helps reduce food debris in your teeth, improving the flow of saliva and preventing the growth of germs. Gum can also help fortify your tooth enamel.
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Aids weight loss by reducing cravings
How is it possible to lose weight from chewing gums? Well, chewing can help control your cravings for food and snacks. Remember all those times you go on chewing a piece of gum for hours, till it melts off? Yes, you could have had a meal or snack somewhere in-between those hours spent chewing gum. Curbing your cravings can reduce your intake of calories, thereby helping you lose weight.
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Helps you stay active and awake
Another chewing gum benefit is that it can help reduce those yawns. If you are finding it hard to stay up while working during the day, get a piece of sugar-free mint gum to keep you up and awake. It can help you stay alert and achieve your work goals.
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Manage nausea
If you have a stomach upset or morning sickness, throw in a piece of mint or ginger-flavoured gum to help manage vomiting. Both ginger and mint are some natural remedies for nausea. Chew these types of gums if you have motion sickness. Rather than going for a snack when you feel you want to vomit, have a piece of gum.
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Help manage heartburn
How does this work? Having a piece of chewing gum after your meal can reduce the acid level in your oesophagus. This can reduce your risk of having acid reflux and heartburn.
Side effects of chewing gums
Having listed the benefits above, it is important to consider the following side effects of chewing gums:
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Unhealthy teeth and general wellbeing
Chewing sugar-filled gums is terrible for the teeth. Excess consumption can lead to tooth decay and speed up the amount of plaque on the teeth. Whereas consuming sweetened gums regularly can increase your health risk. For instance, diabetes and obesity.
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Can lead to jaw problems
Regular chewing can cause pain in the jaw. Reason being that you often overwork that area of your mouth. This pain may occur anytime you want to chew. If you notice this pain, speak to a doctor immediately.
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Constant headache
Notice those aches you get on your head after battling with a piece of gum for hours? Yes, it is a thing. If you have migraines, refrain from chewing gum for hours. You may experience regular aches in your head if you do not.
Although chewing gum is pretty normal, a lot is attached to it. There are side effects and benefits of chewing gums. In addition to the pointers stated above, chewing gum can help reduce your smoking addiction. It can also help reduce anxiety and fear. However, be careful not to have sugar-filled gums regularly. This may cause teeth decay and increase your blood sugar levels.
