Chewing gum is consumed on a massive scale across the globe – more than 100,000 tonnes of it is bought every year, with the average person chewing more than 300 sticks of it annually. New studies suggest that all that chewing could actually be good for you! Not only could it help you to lose weight, but it could also help to improve your memory. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer to chew a minty stick, fruit flavoured or the spicy varieties, chewing improves several areas of your brain which could help you to maintain a good memory function.
Researchers found that those who chewed gum were able to complete a 30 minute task involving odd and even numbers better than those who hadn’t chewed any gum. They also showed a better sense of concentration, particularly towards the end of the task, as well as having faster reaction times. This is because, during gum chewing, the brain has higher levels of activity in several areas which can help with the alertness, focus and arousal level in the brain.
When it comes to weight loss, gum could be playing a starring role here too. Chewing the gum itself only actually burns around 11 calories an hour, so you’d have to chew a lot to shift any weight, but there have been links between gum and appetite suppressants. Some researchers suggest that chewing gum could help to reduce the desire to eat salty or sweet snacks, as well as helping the individual to feel full. Chewing gum, thanks to having no fat and very few calories, is great if you’re trying to avoid the snacks, as well as being a far healthier habit than smoking. So, if you want a low-calorie and low-fat way to curb your appetite, gum could be the answer!
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