Who Knew? Gum is Good for You?

gumballs

It should come as no surprise that the Wrigley Science Institute has just discovered that gum is good for you and is presenting this information at Experimental Biology 2009 in New Orleans. For me, this discovery has come not a moment too soon.

I have always loved chewing gum. But my teachers described it as hideous, disgusting and unsanitary. They made snarky comments about cows chewing their cud. My childhood terror was being caught chewing gum and forced to wear it on my nose.

If only teachers had known that chewing gum can lead to better learning. Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine found that the lucky half of the 108 eighth-grade math students who chewed gum during homework and tests had a 3 percent increase in their standardized math test scores and better final grades.

But I don’t chew gum to be smarter. Sugar less gum reduces my cravings. Investigators at Louisiana State University agreed and found that chewers reported decreased feelings of hunger and cravings for sweet foods. I always thought that I was burning calories by chewing gum and it turns out I was correct. The prestigious Mayo Clinic concluded in the New England Journal of Medicine that the body burns 11 calories an hour just by gum chewing and it is possible to burn off an equivalent of 11 pounds per year and raise the metabolic rate by approximately 20%. Of course, you would have to chew gum every waking hour for this to happen but it’s nice to know that my mastic enjoyment comes with a positive price tag.

Researches are able to provide us with even more reasons to chew. The American Dental Association reminds us that “chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay”. GERD suffers will be surprised to learn that the increased saliva flow washes away acids and bacteria in the mouth and increases stomach antacid.

All I have to do now is remember to pop a piece of gum. But if I do that it may even help my brain since there is some evidence that chewing increases flow to the brain and head up to 25%.