Can chewing help manage stress, pain and appetite? Here’s what the science says

Ever feel a bit stressed or need a concentration boost? Research suggests one treatment could also be right under your nose. Chewing has advantages for brain function, stress, anxiety, exam performance, pain perception, in addition to hunger and food intake.

Here’s what the research about chewing more says, in experiments that used either food or chewing gum.

What do teeth must do along with your brain?

Being in a position to chew efficiently is said to what number of teeth you have got. While adults often have 32 teethyou would like 20 teeth, with a minimum of nine or ten pairs making contact, as a way to chew properly.

The hippocampus area of the brain assists with information transfer from short-term to long-term memory. It also processes spatial memorywhich helps you remember practical things, like where you’ve put your phone or the way to get to the shops.

Research shows having the ability to chew properly, whether resulting from tooth loss or gum diseaseaffects the hippocampus through stimulating the production of stress hormones, called glucocorticoids. These impair your ability to acquire and process information.

A review of research on chewing and cognitive decline in adults found individuals with fewer teeth didn’t get the identical amount of brain activation. The more strongly people could chew, the more blood flowed to their brainsresulting in more oxygen and activity in regions of the brain linked to learning and memory.

Another review found poorer chewing was related to faster cognitive decline and the danger of developing dementia.

This adds to the evidence that chewing ability and oral health are central to healthy ageing.

Anxiety reliever and a focus booster

Chewing gum cab be a cheap and effective strategy to help relieve anxiety and boost attention.

Results across eight research trials that included greater than 400 adults found chewing gum more often, in comparison with never chewing gum, resulted in a major reduction in anxiety.

Although the precise mechanism in not currently known, research in animal models suggests not having the ability to chew properly results in the stimulation of neurons involved in emotional regulation.

Another meta-analysis of eight intervention studies that tested the effect of chewing gum found there was a small improvement in levels of sustained attention, with improved ability to keep up alertness during mentally demanding tasks within the group given gum to chew.

To reduce the quantity of dental plaque and risk of tooth decaygo for sugar-free chewing gum.

Stock up on gum when preparing for exams

A 2019 intervention study
tested the effect of usually chewing gum or not, on stress, anxiety, depression, attention and exam success.

They randomised 100 final yr nursing students to either chew sugarless gum for a minimum of half-hour a day for 19 days, a gaggle who chewed gum for seven days only, or a control group who didn’t chew gum in any respect.

They found levels of depression, anxiety and stress were significantly lower in each chewing gum groups, while academic success scores were higher in 19-day gum chewers only in comparison with the opposite groups. There was no effect on self-focused attention.

So chewing gum before exams may help students overcome exam stress and enhance exam success, but won’t help those that have difficulty focusing their attention.

Chewing may alter your perception of pain

Another study randomised 161 adults undergoing routine colorectal surgery to either chew gum 4 times a day post-operatively, or not chew gum.

People within the chewing gum group reported lower perceived pain on days two to 5 post-surgery.

Interestingly, there was no difference between groups in how long it took to pass flatus (fart) or a bowel motion. These signal a return to normal gut function after surgery.

A trial in a children’s hospital in Turkey randomised 73 children having an IV cannula inserted to receive either a chewing gum intervention throughout the procedure or standard care only.

Both nurses and kids reported significantly lower pain levels among the many chewing gum group in comparison with the standard care.

While exact mechanisms aren’t confirmed, the analgesic effects of chewing gum seem like mediated via neurons within the brain related to serotonina neurotransmitter that affects body functions including mood and anxiety.

Chewing your food well can reduce your appetite

A systematic review of studies using foods checked out the impact of individuals receiving advice to consciously decelerate when eating and chew more, on points of appetite and food intake.

The study participants reported less hunger, desire to eat and ate significantly less food, in comparison with people eating as usual.

Putting all this research together, it seems that chewing gum could also be a simple “go to” intervention with advantages to your brain. Take care though, as “sugar free” gum often accommodates sorbitol, a standard artificial sweetener and can trigger diarrhoea if consumed in excess.

Chewing gum can even result in aerophagiameaning an excessive amount of air is swallowed, and trigger abdominal distention or discomfort – although researchers found chewing gum doesn’t make you burp more.

When it involves food, the recommendation to “take time to chew your food properly” is smart.

Maintain good oral health by brushing your teeth, having regular dental check ups and, for those with tooth loss, good fitting dentures. And, if you happen to grab some chewing gum, make certain it’s sugar-free.