Chewing gum is commonly chewed to eliminate bad breath and to cleanse teeth and gums after a meal. But there are other reasons: chewing gum can help cope with stress or focus while studying and working.
Chewing gum has become a part of life: it is chewed not only by children and adolescents, but also by people of mature age. What makes a person buy chewing gum with enviable consistency and does it bring any benefit to its use?
Why do people need gum
For many, chewing gum after a meal is a good way to cleanse the surface of your teeth and gain fresh breath. The chewing gum copes with these functions quite effectively: it really helps to remove food debris from the chewing surface and neutralizes any odors. However, chewing gum cannot eliminate bad breath if it is caused by tooth decay, gum disease, or plaque.
Some people chew gum to numb their hunger. And they succeed in this despite the fact that the chewing process causes an intense secretion of gastric juice. Most likely, this is because the brain receives the same signals during chewing as it does during a meal. The feeling of satiety is connected with this.
It is much wiser to use chewing gum after meals as a means to improve digestion and metabolic processes. Some scientists claim that chewing gum can help you lose weight. The most important thing is not to keep it in your mouth for more than 15 minutes, as it loses its beneficial properties.
Why do people chew gum in stressful situations?
The use of chewing gum is one of the methods of psychological protection. It is not uncommon for a coach to be seen watching his team play with chewing gum in their mouth during a sporting event. Chewing gum soothes, relieves nervous tension, reduces anxiety. It is not for nothing that the most calm and serene animals are cows that constantly chew the analogue of gum - grass.
Chewing gum is a frequent companion of schoolchildren and students during exams. And this is no coincidence, because scientists from Japan, America and Great Britain have long proven a direct relationship between chewing gum and the activity of the human brain. While chewing, memory and attention improve, which allows you to solve complex tasks not only successfully, but also in a short period of time. Plus, chewing gum is good for long-term memory.
For whatever purpose a person chews gum, he should remember the dentist's advice - the chewing time should not exceed 15 minutes. Gum should be disposed of as soon as it has lost its taste. Well, children under three years old should not be given chewing gum at all, it is better to replace it with safe chewing gum.