Whoever doesn’t stress, raise your hand. And it is good that we get stressed one day and in a timely manner, but often we feel that we are stressed even several times in the same day.
Francisco José Esteban Ruiz
Professor of Cellular Biology, University of Jaén
In this sense, and according to the European Trade Union Confederation, 60% of days lost at work are related to stress and psychosocial risks. Furthermore, they consider that stress is an epidemic.
And since there is evidence that stress can contribute to the development of mental disorders such as anxiety and depressionIf we cannot control the situations that stress us out, how can we at least reduce the stress that these situations generate for us? Does it help, for example, chewing gum?
Is there any use in chewing gum?
A recent study has compiled and analyzed a whole series of works that have been carried out to demonstrate whether or not chewing gum helps reduce stress.
In this study, carried out using the procedure called meta-analysis, it is concluded that chewing gum, something so cheap, so handy and so well tolerated by our body, is a effective way to reduce stress and anxiety. However, it is also indicated that more studies would be necessary for its unequivocal confirmation.
And how does it have this effect? Among the studies analyzed, there are those that indicate that one of the brain areas involved is the prefrontal cortex which, acting on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system, participates in the control of cognitive functions such as attention and impulse inhibition.
In this sense, there are also studies that indicate that the very fact of chewing gum and its taste influence the cortisol levels, the stress hormone, produced by the adrenal glands. Furthermore, it could be considered as an indicator of positive emotions that help in stressful situations.
Chew gum and eat less
But that is not all. Chewing gum also reduces appetite and makes us snack less, something interesting to keep in mind if we want to eat little. Specifically, studies indicate that with 45 minutes chewing gum we can achieve it.
In addition, the sensation of appetite also decreased in a group of people who chewed sugarless gum after 12 hours of fasting. In them it was detected increase in a protein related to glucagon, GLP-1, which normally increases after eating and is proposed as a satiety factor.
However, it is interesting to note that another study indicates that chewing mint gum reduces the desire to eat fruit, and this undoubtedly affects the quality of the food we eat.
Interestingly, for those who have undergone abdominal surgery, the effect of chewing gum is the opposite: it decreases the time it takes to return the feeling of hunger. For this reason, it is proposed to use it as a non-pharmacological postoperative treatment that helps recover the appetite of these people as soon as possible.
Other benefits of chewing gum
Even with not entirely conclusive evidence, it seems that sugar-free chewing gums, and specifically those with xylitol as a sweetenerexert a complementary effect to brushing teeth that reduces inflammation of the gums.
And, regarding the side effects of chemotherapy in pediatric patients, such as ulcers that can develop in the mouth (oral mucositis), there is some work that chewing gum may be effective in reducing moderate to mild mucositis.
To finish with another example of the possible benefits of chewing gum, it has recently been found that chewing gum before a surgical intervention decreases the sensation of thirst and it is related both to a lower incidence of nausea and discomfort in the throat, hoarseness and desire to go to the bathroom after the operation, as well as a shorter hospital stay.
Of course, all and all calm down because it seems that, in contrast to the popular stereotype, both women and men are equally multitasking and can walk and chew gum at the same time.
This article has been published in The Conversation.