It seems life gets more stressful by the day. Yet the simple act of chewing gum may help alleviate some of that stress and aid in relaxation. Dr. Andrew Scholey presented the results of a medical study at the 2008 10th International Congress on Behavioral Medicine that indicates gum chewing may not only relieve stress and anxiety but also provide other benefits, as well.
Function
According to Dr. Scholey, a professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, gum chewers have reduced levels of salivary cortisol, a physiological stress marker. In Dr. Scholey's 40-person study, individuals who chewed gum produced 16 percent less cortisol during mild stress and 12 percent less cortisol during moderate stress than non-gum chewers.
Benefits
Aside from reduced stress, Dr. Scholey's study found that gum chewers also demonstrated increased alertness and improved performance in multi-tasking activities. The gum chewers demonstrated 19 percent more alertness during mildly stressful situations than non-gum chewers. When asked to perform multiple tasks, the study's gum chewers improved performance scores by 67 percent over non-gum chewers during moderately stressful situations and 109 percent during mild stress.
Uses
According to a survey conducted by the Wrigley Company, everyday athletes already use gum to reduce stress, with 67 percent of respondents stating they chew gum to relieve stress before a sporting event. Meanwhile, another 59 percent of respondents stated they chewed gum to improve focus on a sporting event. The same survey indicated that men were more likely than women to chew gum during a sporting event.
Considerations
The Wrigley Science Institute funds most of the research into the benefits of gum chewing. Not surprisingly, the Chicago-based Wrigley Science Institute is an extension of the Wrigley Company, one of the leading names in the chewing gum industry. The Wrigley Science Institute claims to be dedicated to studying how gum may reduce situational stress, help manage weight, help improve concentration and help improve oral health.
Warning
According to Dr. Douglas Sinn, an oral surgeon from the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, vigorous gum chewing over an extended period of time may lead to problems with the jaw, including muscle fatigue, muscle spasms and pain. In severe cases, excessive gum chewing may even lead to TMJ disorders, which cause head and neck pain while also making it difficult to open and close the jaw.
