Chew on this: Gum may be good for body, mind
(CNN) -- If you're looking to curb your appetite and improve your memory, you're probably exercising, eating
healthier foods and trying to get some sleep.
Those things are all good, but maybe you should try chomping on a stick of sugar-free gum.
At least that's what research funded by the Wrigley Science Institute and being presented at the
Experimental Biology 2009 meeting this week may have you think. The data are part of a growing body of
research that is giving Americans more reasons to pop some gum in their mouths and chew away.
One line of research suggests that gum should no longer be treated as contraband in schools. This newest
study indicates that chewing gum can lead to better academic performance.
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine took 108 eighth-grade math students from a Houston, Texas,
charter school and divided them into two groups, following them for 14 weeks. One group chewed gum while
doing homework and during test-taking situations. The other group did not chew gum at all.
The results were surprising. The gum-chewing students had a 3 percent increase in their standardized math
test scores compared with those who did not chew gum. Also, the students who chewed gum had better
final grades compared with the non-chompers.
"Chewing gum is an easy tool students can use for a potential academic edge," says Craig Johnston, Ph.D.,
the lead researcher and an instructor in nutrition at the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of
Medicine.
He also reports that teachers anecdotally found that students who chewed gum required fewer breaks, paid
better attention and stayed quiet longer than those who did not.
Another study adds to a growing body of evidence centering on chewing gum satiety and cravings.
Investigators at Louisiana State University took 115 people who regularly chewed gum and fed them lunch.
They measured their cravings before and after lunch. They found that those subjects, who chewed gum
three times hourly after lunch, ate fewer high-calorie snacks. The chewers also reported decreased feelings
of hunger and cravings for sweet foods.
"We decreased overall snack intake by 40 to 60 calories. Having something in the mouth likely calms the
appetite," explains Paula Geiselman, Ph.D, lead researcher and physiological psychologist.
So, is chewing gum the next in fad diet trends? Nutritionists and doctors are prescribing a healthy dose of
caution.
"The only reason to do these studies is to sell more gum," warns Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a nutritionist at New
York University and author of "What to Eat."
But Nestle does admit that it may have some minor benefit, "Gum has no calories. If it helps people eat less,
it could be useful."
As for boosting academic performance, Nestle is familiar with results showing that feeding breakfast to
hungry kids results in better schoolwork, but she's quick to burst the bubble on the LSU study.
Nestle remains cautious about the funds being pumped into research by the gum industry. "Sponsored
studies almost invariably produce results favorable to the economic interests of the sponsor. [They] are
always designed in ways that fail to control for alternative explanations for the results."
Aside from the industry-funded findings, there is solid evidence that gum chewing brings big benefits in
dental health and acid reflux disease.
The American Dental Association says on its Web site that "chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following
meals can help prevent tooth decay" and recommends looking for gum with its ADA-approved seal. The
saliva produced in the mouth by the physical act of chewing can wash away acids and bacteria, thereby
protecting teeth.
Besides beating tooth decay, independent research finds that gum can aid in reducing the symptoms of acid
reflux disease. The saliva flow can lead to an antacid effect in the stomach.
There is also early evidence that gum chewing increases blood flow to the brain and the head by up to 25
percent, but no one can explain what impact that blood flow may have on cognition.
As for dieting, one study from the Mayo Clinic finds that the body burns 11 calories an hour through working
the jaw. "Overall gum chewing is more beneficial than it is harmful," says Dr. Michael Benninger, chairman
of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
"This isn't like smoking. The downsides are minimal," Benninger adds. "There are people who probably
shouldn't chew gum such as people with Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders, or TMJ, people
with chronic tension headaches or if you grind your teeth at night."
As manufacturers come up with new flavors, packages and brands, gum's popularity continues to grow.
Sales topped $1.2 billion last year alone, and sales of sugar-free gum increased by more than 11 percent in
2008, according to marketing research provider Information Resources Inc. It's definitely big business for
what may be the world's oldest confection.
Ancient cultures around the world found their own forms of gum. The Greeks called it mastiche. Mayans
chewed on the sap of the sapodilla tree and called it chicle. Native Americans introduced the sap of the
spruce tree to early European settlers in New England.
Interestingly, tree sap is long gone from the current treat. Today's gum consists of synthetic ingredients and
is made sweet. It can be made sugar-free by adding sorbitol, a substance that can have laxative effects at
high doses.
As for the notion that gum can stay in your stomach for years if swallowed, experts said that's a myth. Gum
is passed through the body and not digested.
While the Wrigley Science Institute declines to say just how much money it's spending on research, it's open
about its objective. "We're providing more reasons why consumers should chew," said Gil Leveille, Ph.D.,
executive director of the Wrigley Science Institute.
But medical experts agree that gum chewing may be a tool, as people struggle to chip away at the obesity
problem.
According to the American Dietetic Association, "If you chew two sticks of gum at 20 calories instead of
eating one to two chocolate chip cookies at 140 calories, you can save 120 calories."
New gum could mean end to sticky mess
LONDON, England (CNN) -- British authorities and environmental groups were welcoming the launch this
week of the world's first biodegradable chewing gum, which they say could help save some of the millions
spent on clearing up the mess ordinary gum creates.
The new gum becomes non-adhesive when dry and decomposes to dust within six weeks, a spokesman for
Mexico's Chicza Mayan Rainforest Chewing Gum told CNN.
The makers of Chicza say it is the first biodegradable chewing gum ever sold. Environmental and waste
management groups told CNN that they, too, believe it is a first.
Unlike other gums that contain petrochemicals the natural gum is produced from the sap of the chicozapote
tree found in the Mexican rainforest, a spokesman for Chicza told CNN.
A spokesman for campaign group Keep Britain Tidy told CNN they welcome any product that can help
eradicate the staining on pavements caused by dropped chewing gum.
Removing chewing gum litter costs local authorities $222 million a year, a spokesman for the Local
Government Association told CNN.
Sixty-five percent of British streets have chewing gum stuck on them, a spokesman from Keep Britain Tidy
told CNN.
One of the worst-affected areas is Westminster in central London, where a comprehensive gum clean-up
would cost $13.4 million, according to Westminster City Council.
"Gum litter is a constant problem for us, especially given the vast number of visitors to Westminster every
day. We spend $148,000 a year cleaning ugly blobs of conventional chewing gum off our streets,"
Westminster City Councilor Danny Chalkley said in a written statement.
"It's an incredibly expensive and time-consuming task, so anything that could reduce the problem is very
welcome indeed." he said.
British parliamentarians have called on the government to introduce a tax on chewing gum, with the money
raised going toward the cost of gum removal.
In Britain, offenders can be fined up to $119 for discarding used chewing gum on a street.
The producer of the new gum is Consorcio Chiclero, which comprises 46 cooperatives with around 2,000
chicleros farmers, working in an area of 1.3 million hectares of rainforest, according to a statement from
Chicza.
Locals have been extracting the natural chicle gum base from the bark of the chicozapote trees for a
century, a spokesman for Chicza told CNN.
After years of exporting the gum base to be used as an ingredient in the manufacture of regular chewing
gum, the cooperative recently decided to start making its own gum using only chicle gum base and natural
flavorings and sweeteners, Chicza said.
The company launched its gum in Britain this week. It is available at a chain of supermarkets and Mexican
restaurants.
The Chicza gum sells for $2.06 for a pack of 12 squares.
Name_____________________________
Chewing Gum
Each question is worth 5 points. For full credit, you must answer in complete
sentences and include all appropriate information. Explain your answers!
Continue on the back if you need more room
1. In the Baylor College study, when did the students chew gum? For how long did
they chew it?
2. What resuls were reported (please be complete)?
3. Investigators t Louisiana State University also studied gum chewing. What did
they find?
4. Why does Marion Nestle criticize the studies?
5. What does the American Dental Association think about chewing gum?
6. Are there some people who shouldn’t chew gum? Expain your answer.
7. What forms of chewing gum existed in the ancient world?
8. What is modern chewing gum made of? Do we digest it?
9. What is different about Chicza Mayan Rainforest Chewing Gum?
10. Why are officials in Great Britain happy about the new gum?
11. Throwing used chewing gum on the street is a crime in Great Britain. What is the
penalty?