Chewing Gum for Health Part 1.

This article explores the health benefits and potential risks of chewing gum. However, most modern chewing gums are made from synthetic rubbers. Original gums were made from the sap of trees, such as spruce or Manilkara chicle.People have been chewing gum in various forms for thousands of years.

The Question is raising now,

What is Chewing Gum? 

Recipes can vary between brands, but all chewing gums have the following basic ingredients:

Gum: The non-digestible, rubbery base used to give gum its chewy quality.

Resin: Usually added to strengthen gum and hold it together. 

Flavorings: Added to give a desired flavor. They can be natural or synthetic. 

Fillers: Fillers, such as calcium carbonate or talc, are used to give gum texture. 

Softeners: These are used to retain moisture and prevent the gum from hardening. They can include waxes like paraffin or vegetable oils. 

Sweeteners: Popular ones include cane sugar, beet sugar and corn syrup. Sugar-free gums use sugar alcohols like xylitol or artificial sweeteners like aspartame. 

Preservatives: These are added to extend shelf life. The most popular choice is an organic compound called butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).

All ingredients used in the processing of chewing gum have to be “food grade” and classified as fit for human consumption. Most chewing gum manufacturers keep their exact recipes a secret. They often refer to their specific combination of gum, resin, filler, softeners and antioxidants as their “gum base.”

Studies have found that chewing gum while performing tasks can improve various aspects of brain function, including alertness, memory, understanding and decision making (19, 20, 21, 22, 23).

In one study, people who chewed gum during tests performed 24% better in short-term memory tests and 36% better in long-term memory tests (24). Interestingly, some studies have found that chewing gum during tasks could be a bit of a distraction at the start, but they could help you focus for longer periods (25).

Other studies have only found benefits during the first 15–20 minutes of a task (26).

How chewing gum improves memory isn’t fully understood. One theory is that this improvement is due to increased blood flow to the brain caused by chewing gum.

Studies have also found that chewing gum could reduce stress and increase feelings of alertness (27, 28, 29). In university students, chewing gum for two weeks decreased feelings of stress, particularly in relation to academic workload (30). This could be due to the act of chewing, which has been linked to reduced levels of stress hormones like cortisol (31, 32, 33).

The benefits of chewing gum on memory have only been shown to last while you’re chewing the gum. However, habitual gum chewers may benefit from feeling more alert and less stressed throughout the day (24, 27, 34).

 

 How much ingredients are save?

In general, chewing gum is considered to be safe. However, some brands of chewing gum contain small amounts of controversial ingredients. Even in these cases, the amounts are generally much lower than the amounts considered to cause harm.

BHT ( Butylated Hydroxytoluene )

 BHT  is an antioxidant that’s added to many processed foods as a preservative. It stops food from going bad by preventing fats from becoming rancid. 

Its use is controversial, as some animal studies have shown high doses can cause cancer. Yet, the results are mixed, and other studies haven’t found this effect. 

Overall, there are very few human studies, so its effects on people are relatively unknown.

Nevertheless, at low doses of around 0.11 mg per pound of body weight (0.25 mg per kg), BHT is deemed generally safe by both the FDA and EFSA. 

Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a common food additive used to whiten products and give them a smooth texture.

Some animal studies have linked very high doses of titanium dioxide with nervous system and organ damage in rats. However, studies have provided mixed results, and its effects in humans are relatively unknown.
At the moment, the amount and type of titanium dioxide people are exposed to in food is generally considered to be safe. Nevertheless, more research is needed to determine the safe consumption limit.  (9, 10, 11).

Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly found in sugar-free foods.

It’s highly controversial and has been claimed to cause a range of problems from headaches to obesity to cancer.

However, there’s currently no evidence that aspartame causes cancer or weight gain. Evidence for a connection between aspartame and metabolic syndrome or headaches is also weak or nonexistent (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).

Overall, consuming amounts of aspartame that are within the daily intake recommendations isn’t thought to be harmful (18)

Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly found in sugar-free foods.

It’s highly controversial and has been claimed to cause a range of problems from headaches to obesity to cancer.

However, there’s currently no evidence that aspartame causes cancer or weight gain. Evidence for a connection between aspartame and metabolic syndrome or headaches is also weak or nonexistent (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).

Overall, consuming amounts of aspartame that are within the daily intake recommendations isn’t thought to be harmful (18).

This article is still continued to Written more. So see the next post for more about chewing gum.