Did you know? The average American chews down on 300 pieces of gum each year. It’s a staple in our purses, pockets, cars and desk drawers at work … and we have the abundance of stray wrappers to prove it!
But is our love of gum leading to some unwanted health problems? Here are 5 reasons you may want to un-stick your gum habit.
Frequent Headaches
Prone to headaches? Before you blame stress, hormones or a lack of caffeine, consider this: eight different facial muscles are involved when you chew gum.
Constant gum chewing can overwork your facial muscles, especially the ones located near the temples where headache pain often radiates from. Cut back on the gum chewing and you may be surprised to say good-bye to those headaches!
Unhealthy Eating
Spearmint, peppermint, doublemint, winter mint, minty-mint … we love our mint! But is it making us love fruits and veggies less? According to a study published in the journal Eating Behaviors, it is.
The study suggests that people who chew gum as a way to reduce hunger cravings don’t end up consuming fewer calories. Rather, they eat less healthy. The minty flavor in gum makes fruits and veggies taste bitter, leading people to subconsciously reach for junk food instead.
Gas & Bloating
When you chew gum, you swallow more air than you normally would. This air builds up in the stomach and needs to go somewhere. It can be let out by belching (not polite in front of others) or out the back end (DEFINITELY not polite in front of others). This can result in some really uncomfortable situations. To make matters worse, sorbitol, a popular artificial sweetener in gum can increase gas and even cause diarrhea … no thank you!
TMJ
If you’re always complaining about jaw pain, try cutting back on your gum chewing. Experts debate on whether gum chewing is a factor for causing TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder or if it simply exacerbates a current condition, but one thing is clear: gum chewing is no good for the jaw!
Bad Breath
We realize this info could burst your bubble, but it’s the truth: gum doesn’t actually remedy bad breath … it only masks it, and very temporarily. This could be giving you false confidence in social situations where fresh breath is a must.
Try Oxyfresh Fresh Breath Lemon Mint Mouthwash instead for lasting, on-the-go fresh breath protection. It doesn’t just mask bad breath … it neutralizes it completely for up to 6 hours!
Know someone who’s a gum fanatic? Share this post with them!
