Did You Know: Chewing Gum May Speed Digestion?
During a Gastric Emptying Scan at Mayo Clinic earlier this year, the technician instructed me not to chew gum or suck on hard candy for the duration of the exam as it could potentially skew the results. Curious, I asked him to explain.
Apparently gum and candy both cause increased salivation, which can actually speed up the digestion process by stimulating the stomach to produce additional enzymes and digestive juices. When measuring true gastric motility, this obviously isn’t helpful. But in the everyday life of a someone with gastroparesis, this is a handy little tip!
Just like everything else, there are downsides. It’s been noted that both chewing gum and sucking on candy can increase the amount of air you swallow, thus contribute to bloating. Some also worry about the health effects of the chemical sweetener in sugar free gums/candies or the excess sugar in the regular varieties.
For me, I’ve found the practice to be mildly helpful, especially for quelling nausea and regurgitation. (Cinnamon and peppermint flavors seem to be the most soothing.) If you give it a try, let me know what you think.
UPDATE: The New York Times published an article on January 13, 2011 called Chewing Gum for Heartburn. It discusses several recent studies showing that chewing gum can alleviate symptoms of reflux.
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4 Responses to “Did You Know: Chewing Gum May Speed Digestion?”
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[...] and fullness. It’s generally accepted that ginger can alleviate nausea and, as I noted in a previous post, it’s thought that chewing gum may accelerate digestion. So when I found this Anti-Nausea [...]
I have found it to be quite helpful. I chew at least one piece of sugarless gum almost every day. I prefer mint flavors but just saw Dr Oz say that peppermint is bad for reflux. I have actually spit out most of the flavor at the beginning of the chew so what I get is mostly just the activity of chewing. I also had read somewhere that one should try to chew for about an hour after eating. (I aim for an hour but usually can’t stand it that long).
Hi, Carolyn. Thanks for sharing your experience! Peppermint is said to be bad for reflux because it can relax the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus (LES), allowing stomach contents to more easily move back up into the esophagus. I’m not sure that the amount of mint flavoring in most gums would cause much of an issue, though. Peppermint tea or candies, on the other hand, which some find helpful for nausea, may exacerbate reflux if you have a weak LES.
Warmly,
Crystal
[...] – As I’ve mentioned before, chewing gum can help alleviate reflux and may enhance digestion. I’ve found ginger gum [...]