Calories of chewing gum

Chewing gum is a kind of food that many people like to chew, because chewing gum can make their breath fresher, so when communicating with others, it will also avoid the occurrence of bad breath. However, as a type of sugar, chewing gum has high calories. Generally speaking, a stick of chewing gum contains about 100g of calories. In addition, chewing gum has advantages, but also disadvantages.

1. How many calories does chewing gum contain?

Chewing gum is high in calories, and common chewing gum generally contains about 300 calories (100 grams).

2. Benefits of chewing gum

1. Chewing gum frequently can increase saliva secretion, thereby better cleaning the mouth and teeth and reducing the formation of dental plaque. And when the biting action is repeated, the jaw, masseter muscle and teeth can be fully exercised, which is very beneficial to periodontal health.

2. On the other hand, Fox, director of the Los Angeles Neurological Center, also found that if you chew gum for about a quarter of an hour every day, it will have a beauty effect.

3. Disadvantages of chewing gum

1. Most chewing gums use sucrose as a sweetener. When chewing gum, the sugar will stay in the mouth for a long time. The cariogenic bacteria in the mouth will use sucrose to produce acidic substances, which will corrode the teeth, causing tooth decalcification and inducing tooth decay. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a new type of chewing gum that uses xylitol instead of sucrose.

2. People who have had their teeth filled with mercury-containing materials should not chew gum. Frequent chewing of gum can damage the material used for dental fillings in the mouth, releasing the amalgam in it, causing excessive mercury levels in the blood and urine, thereby causing harm to the brain, central nervous system and kidneys.

3. Chewing gum is also not good for children. Because children have poor self-control, if they keep chewing gum in their mouths all day, they may swallow it or it may enter their trachea by mistake, which may be life-threatening.

4. Chewing gum for a long time will keep the chewing muscles in a tense state, which may develop a habit of grinding teeth in sleep, thus affecting the child's sleep quality. Doctors recommend not chewing gum for more than 15 minutes.

5. People with stomach problems should not chew gum too much, because chewing gum for a long time will reflexively secrete a large amount of stomach acid. Especially when you are on an empty stomach, not only will you experience symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, and acid reflux, but it may also lead to diseases such as gastric ulcers and gastritis in the long run.

6. If teenagers chew gum during their physical development period, it may over-exercise their masseter muscles, stimulate the development of muscles and bones at the mandibular angle, and eventually result in a "square face" and affect the face shape.