Is eating chewing gum bad for you? This is one of the questions asked by people continuously who are worried about the habit of chewing gum. Whereas there are some other people who are also concern about effects of chewing gum. Anything in access is not good for the body. Similarly, continuously chewing gum can prove to be hazardous for health. Here is some information that may prove to be helpful for those who are seeking answer whether chewing gum can be bad for you.
Disadvantages of eating chewing gum on a regular basis
• Chewing gum continuously may cause damages to related cartilage that serves as shock- absorber in your mouth, particularly in jaw joints. If these cartilages are damaged the region of the mouth may be extremely painful which may persist throughout your life.
• While chewing gum there are about 8 different facial muscles that are used. Consistent manducating of gum may cause two of these muscles to become tight which may be a chronic condition. These two muscles are close to your temples. The condition may exert pressure on the veins supplying blood to this particular region of the head, which may lead to intermittent headache.
• There are six salivary glands with in your mouth which are responsible for producing as well as releasing saliva whenever you are chewing something. It is believed that producing a consistent stream of saliva is a waste of energy while chewing gum. This energy could be otherwise used for other significant metabolic activities.
• Most of the chewing gum in the market is treated with aspartame. Studies have indicated that use of aspartame for consistent time may lead to physical conditions such as cancer, neurological issues etc.
• If the chewing gum that you consistently chew is not treated with aspartame, then there are chances that you gum may contain sugar. It is said that sugar is probably is one of the major factors that cause health diseases such as diabetes mellitus, heart issues, cancer and physiological issues.
All the aforementioned factors indicate that chewing gum is most probably not good for health.
There are some other negative consequences that may result out of consistent chewing of gum. For example excessive of gum can cause clicking or popping sound in your jaw. It may also cause pain in the jaw bone or muscles as well as it may probably aggravate jaw related issues. Though it is believed that chewing gum may impart sense of satiation to those who are habituated to it, it may contain artificial sweetener or sugar which may be harmful to the health. Too much of artificial substances may also lead to dental issues such as tooth decay even if you brush your teeth once everyday. If you are habituated to chewing gum then it is essential to speak to your dentist and take precautionary measures.
Another disadvantage of chewing gum is that it may cause damages to TMJ or temporomandibular joint. As mentioned above chewing gum may cause fatigue to the muscle as well as lead to muscle pain. Usually it is caused after a prolonged time or consistent habit of chewing gum but it may also be experienced by people who eat chewing gum for the first time. It is believed that problem to TMJ may also be experienced to infrequent chewing of gum. There are approximately 26% people who have TMJ issues due to infrequent gum chewing; whereas there are 65 percent TMJ affected people who frequently chew gums.
Due to consistent chewing, the intestine as well as stomach may be exhausted because they have no time or even slowdown. So there are chances of you getting affected by ulcer of abdomen, stomach burn and cancer related risks. People are waiting for further experiments and results related to effects of chewing gum on body.
American dental association has approved some of the chewing gum brands which do not contain any sugar. They also state that chewing gums of such approved brands may prevent tooth from decaying. Chewing such gum after eating augments the production of saliva in the mouth which helps in carrying away some kinds of acids produced by bacteria on the surface of the tooth. American Dental Association does not approve of chewing gum that is not sugar free.
There are some studies that indicate that chewing gum can help people to avoid additional sweet snacks or food taken between meals. This happens as chewing gum reduces appetite and craving for sweet snacks. Many people, especially children by mistakenly swallow chewing gum. There are studies that indicate that chewing gum when swallowed may lead to physical issues such as constipation in children, diarrhea or obstruction of the esophageal.
One of the studies indicates that it is not the chewing gum but only specific ingredients that may cause physical issues. There were two cases recorded with severe reduction in weight, chronic diarrhea and other issues related to intestine. It was recorded that both the patients were habituated to chewing gum and the issue probably was resulted out of sorbitol (common ingredient chewing gums) as well as artificial sweetener.
There are other concerns related to consistent chewing of gum. For example for one of the most concerning factors is that chewing gum is also associated with cancer. On the other hand there may also be positive effects of chewing gum for example it may also alleviate acid reflects (according to study conducted by a dental institute in London). It cannot be said that how soon you can experience the effects of chewing gum, but it is obvious that chewing gum has some adverse effects in the long run.
