chewing gum improves digestion?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7568724.stm

Chewing gum appears to speed up the return of normal bowel function by stimulating nerves in the digestive system, say the UK report's authors.

Patients who chewed gum passed gas and had a bowel movement sooner than those who did not chew gum - signs that their bowel function returned sooner.

Was the gum sweetened with sorbitol?

The article doesn't say. I assume they used regular gum.

Engaging in a repetitive, mechanical physical activity can have stress-relieving effect, as can be observed when you squeeze a stress ball for instance. I wonder if the improved digestion observed with gum-chewing involves similar processes. I remember reading somewhere else that chewing gum can improve mental focus/performance. IME, my mind is always desperate for distraction, for an excuse to escape the task at hand. Based on my observations of other people, it's not an uncommon problem these days. Idle minds are the workshop of the devil.

Supposedly chewing gum is somewhat effective at counteracting nicotine cravings in people who are trying to quit smoking.

The process of digestion is extremely sensitive to the state of your mind. Psychological stress reduces blood flow to the muscles of the GI tract, resulting in slowed intestinal transit and indigestion.

I think the main benefit I observed from the curcumin/resveratrol combination was decreased intestinal transit time. I had no bloating/constipation so I had far fewer mood swings. I started taking it again a few days ago, and my gut feels amazing.

Nice avatar ar, guessing you enjoyed Prometheus then?

It also gives you stomach ulcers as you start the stomach cranking with no food in it if you chew gum on an empty stomach.

I've read somewhere that chewing gum triggers a release of stomach acid. I'd imagine that if a person had low stomach acid (most average people) that it would have some aid. Although, low stomach acid or not, releasing more without food present can't be a good thing overall. My experience is that it always leaves me with a hungry stomach ache.

i read somewhere (someone can correct if i'm wrong) that when you chew gum, it starts the process of your body releasing digestive enzymes and slowly depleting them. the saliva release from chewing gum starts your body wanting to do digestion, but no digestion is happening. i'm assuming it's probably not good. but with all the extra crap in gum, it's probably best to avoid it.

sanderson wrote:i read somewhere (someone can correct if i'm wrong) that when you chew gum, it starts the process of your body releasing digestive enzymes and slowly depleting them. the saliva release from chewing gum starts your body wanting to do digestion, but no digestion is happening. i'm assuming it's probably not good. but with all the extra crap in gum, it's probably best to avoid it.

yeah, but some people are supposed to have low stomach acid. There have been studies showing that H. pylori infection in the stomach can inhibit stomach acid production. Some alternative health websites claim that chronic stress can also decrease stomach acid production.

Low stomach acid production causes digestion problems because proteins are supposed to be broken down in the stomach. If they reach the small intestines intact, then they can pass through the barrier (if you have impaired barrier function) and then cause immunologic problems.

ot but I heard promethius was crap?