The Wonders Of Chewing Gum
Surprising news ! A recreational activity has real therapeutic value. Research shows that after abdominal surgery, chewing gum for one hour, three times a day significantly hastens the resumption of normal bowel function and reduces the time patients spend in the hospital. Eating and drinking are also effective but can cause nausea.
“Chewing gum does not put as much in your system if you are not ready for it, yet it might help stimulate intestinal activity,” says Jeffrey Drebin, M.D. professor and chief of gastrointestinal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. “I encourage my patients to chew gums as soon as they are awake enough not to choke on it.”
A 2002 Japanese study showed that gum - chewing patients recovered faster after laparoscopic colon surgery. In 2006 researcher at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California found that gum chewers who had undergone conventional large-incision surgery moved their bowels 26 hours earlier than other patients. So with your surgeon’s approval, pack some gum, preferably sugarless, before heading to the hospital.
Studies suggest that chewing gum also relieves heartburn, which results when acid from the stomach backs up into theesophagus. In a 2005 British study, 31 people with the condition consumed a fatty, heartburn - inducing lunch on two days, and were randomly selected to chew gum for 30 minutes afterwards. Acid levels were significantly lower when they chewed gum. An earlier study found that chewing gum for one hour after breakfast reduced symptoms for upto three hours.
Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which neutralizes, acid in the esophagus. “It has the same effect as an antacid,” explains C. Mel Wilcox, M.D. professor of medicine at the University of Alabama. The treatment may especially appeal to pregnant women who want to avoid medications.
Chewing gum also dull the appetite. In a 2007 study sponsored by the Wringley Company, 60 people were offered a sweet and salty afternoon snack after chewing gum or not chewing gum. They reported less hunger and consumed fewer snack calories after chewing gum.