Benefits Of Chewing Gum On Heartburn

Do you know the benefits of chewing gum on your stomach?

It is hard to believe that something simple like chewing on gum can help you to stop acid reflux. What is more, scientific research has been done to back up this claim.

Grab a chewing gum and get those jaws moving! It is a cheap and effective heartburn remedy. 

Chewing Gum Pushes Acid Down

As soon as you start chewing, saliva forms in your mouth to start digestion. It plays an important role in keeping acid reflux under control. 
Here is why: 

Swallowing

Constantly chewing on your gum increases the flow of saliva in your mouth, wich promotes frequent swallowing.  Smooth muscles in your throat  push down escaped stomach acid every time that your swallow.

Neutralizing

Your saliva contains sodium bicarbonate, which is exactly the same as baking soda. A natural remedy that people use for stopping stopping acid reflux. 

Swallowed saliva neutralizes your stomach acid with a chemical reaction.  Therefore, your saliva acts as a natural antacid to stop heartburn.

Benefits Of Chewing Gym: Digestion Aid

When you are chewing a tasty bubble gum, your mouth thinks you are eating. Your salivary glands produce lots of digestive enzymes, that end up your stomach after swallowing. Once arrived, they assist and speed up digestion.

Benefits Of Chewing Gum: Reduce Stress

Stress doesn't actually cause of acid reflux, but it stimulates existing symptoms in persons with acid reflux.

The trick is to find simple solutions to control your stress. An easy way to do so is chewing on gum.

Your brain perceives eating as a feel good activity. Chewing gum mimics food intake and therefore calms your brain.

Researchers found out that chewing gum reduces the levels of your stress hormone cortisol.

Swallow Chewing Gum

Normally you don’t swallow your gum. But if it happens accidentally, do you need to worry?

Urban myths suggest that it is harmfull and that it remains undigested in your stomach for seven years.  

Of course, this isn’t true. It remains undigested, but is simply excreted by your stool. Swallowed gum doesn't affect heartburn.

Which Chewing Gum

Frequently chewing on sugary gum, can damage tooth enamel and increase cavities. Better is to choose for a sugar-free variety.

Mint is a substance that weakens your stomach valve, so chewing spearmint gums isn’t the best choice if you have acid reflux. Pick up cinnamon or fruit flavored chewing gums instead.

Special Chewing Gum

Varieties that contain xylitol, have the added benefit of protecting your teeth. Xylitol inhibits growth of streptococcus mutans, one of the oral bacteria that cause cavities. Chewing xylitol gum is a natural and convenient way of controlling acid relux and taken care of your teeth!

If you have heartburn, it is a very good idea to quit smoking. Smoking is an important cause of acid reflux and lots of people use nicotune gums to stop smoking. Popular brands are nicorette, nicotrol, nicotinell.

As long as you depend on nicorette to get you through the day,  the nicotine still affects your stomach. Nicotine has the same effect as xanthines in coffee and chocolate. It weakens your stomach valve and causes heartburn. 

Chewing Gum And IBS

Pay attention if you have irritable bowel syndrome. You might have difficulties to digest artificial sweeteners in chewing gum. Check out my page about low FODMAP diet to understand why.

from benefits of chewing gum to exreflux.com

References:

effect of chewing on sugar-free gum on reflux

effect of chewing gum on stress levels