Health Benefits of Gum Chewing

Why chew gum at all?

Did you know that the practice of gum chewing dates back to ancient civilizations? It was common for them to use the sap from trees to produce it. Many found their own forms of chewing gum, including those of the Greek, Mayan and Native American cultures. Maybe they knew what we are figuring out today – that chewing gum has definite benefits! You may be surprised how many good reasons there are.

Exercise: Fact is, you’ll find nowhere else on the body with more muscle attachments per unit of bone than the jaw region of the head. Chewing exercises those muscles, and does so much more fully than mere talking can do. Do your cheeks feel tired at day’s end, as if they just walked out of a tiny little gym? If not, then you haven’t exercised your jaw enough.

Massage: Teeth and gums aren’t the rigid systems we think they are. That’s not Stonehenge you’ve got standing on your lower jaw. Jaw, gums, and teeth are meant to stand firmly, yes… but also flexibly. Chewing gum assists with that flexibility.

Digestion: Some studies have shown that because chewing gum mimics the act of eating, it can promote the wavelike intestinal muscle contractions that help move food through the digestive process.

Oral Health: You can’t floss driving or sitting in an airplane. Chewing a safe, natural gum helps clean out food particles in much the same way flossing does, better and more safely than toothpicks do. The friction between your teeth and the chewing gum will help clean away food particles and films. Gum chewing also assists in cavity prevention by increasing saliva flow, leading to a reduction of the acid produced by mouth bacteria.