What Are the Benefits of Chewing Gum for Stress?

Chewing gum has existed in various forms for over 5,000 years, and has a variety of different benefits. Non-sugar chewing gum has always been encouraged by dentists to help with dental health; it can also show benefits in alertness, focus, concentration, stress relief and even weight loss. Chewing gum for stress may give you auxiliary benefits that will help as you relax.

Relieved Anxiety

• Chewing gum to reduce stress can also reduce anxiety by reducing the levels of salivary cortisol (a physiological stress marker). According to a 2008 study by Dr. Andrew Scholey and Dr. Gilbert Leveille, gum chewers showed a 17 percent reduction in anxiety during mild stress testing and nearly 10 percent reduction in moderate stress testing over those in the study who did not chew gum. This makes chewing gum a cheap way to help lower your stress and anxiety while providing axillary benefits.

Increased Alertness

• Chewing gum can increase alertness as well. The 2008 study also saw an increase in alertness to participants who were chewing gum; the Wrigley Scientific Institute also found benefits of chewing gum for alertness. The Scholey study found that alertness was improved by 19 percent during mild stress situations and 8 percent in moderate stress situations.

Improved Performance

• The Scholey study and the Wrigley Scientific Institute agree that chewing gum regularly can also improve your performance and ability to multi-task. The Scholey study showed that chewing gum could improve a mean performance score for gum chewers by 67 percent on moderate stress and a staggering 109 percent in mild stress test situations. Additionally, the Wrigley Scientific Institute found that chewing gum can stimulate certain areas of the brain; this may be caused by the relationship between chewing gum and reduced tension. The study showed that chewing gum could also help improve people's ability to retain information.