Pellet gum's characteristic hard outer shell is due to a polyol coating. Polyols can also be implemented as a water absorbent powder dusting to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of the product. These humectants bind water by establishing many hydrogen bonds with water molecules. a b Fritz, D (2008). "Evaluation and shelf-life". In Fritz, D (ed.). Formulation and Production of Chewing and Bubble Gum (2ed.). Essex: Kennedy's Publications Ltd. pp.75–90.

Chewing gum after a colon surgery helps the patient recover sooner. If the patient chews gum for fifteen minutes for at least four times per day, it will reduce their recovery time by a day and a half. [50] The average patient took 0.66 fewer days to pass gas and 1.10 fewer days to have a bowel movement. [51] Saliva flow and production is stimulated when gum is chewed. Gum also gets digestive juices flowing and is considered "sham feeding". [51] Sham feeding is the role of the central nervous system in the regulation of gastric secretion. a b de Roos, KB (2008). "Flavourings for chewing gum". In Fritz, D (ed.). Formulation and Production of Chewing and Bubble Gum (2ed.). Essex: Kennedy's Publications Ltd. pp.205–31. Chewing or biting as a stress-coping behavior attenuates stress-induced diseases such as gastric ulcers and cognitive and psychologic impairments in rodents via suppression of stress-induced activation of the HPA axis and autonomic nervous reactions. The histaminergic nervous system may also be involved in the chewing-induced attenuation of stress-induced cognitive deficits. In humans, although the correlation between sleep bruxism and stress factors is controversial, many studies support an association between stress and sleep bruxism. Effects of chewing during stress are also conflicting. Gum chewing during stress may affect the levels of various stress markers in the saliva and plasma and increase attention, self-rated alertness, and vigilance.

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Mastication under stressful conditions prevents stress-induced ulcer formation in the stomach [ 4, 22– 24], spatial cognitive deficits [ 25, 26], anxiety-like behavior [ 35], and osteoporosis [ 27]. Onishi et al. [ 36] reported that maternal chewing during prenatal stress prevents prenatal stress-induced learning deficits in the adult offspring. Several studies have demonstrated that chewing attenuates stress-induced functional and morphologic changes in the hippocampus [ 25, 36– 40]. Eating too much sugar is also associated with a number of health conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes ( 45). Chewing gum too often could cause problems with your jaw Additionally, all sugar alcohols are FODMAPs, which can cause digestive problems for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Sugar-sweetened gum is bad for your dental and metabolic health

Flavor delivery is extended throughout the mastication process by timed release of different flavor components due to the physical-chemical properties of many of chewing gum's ingredients. During the first three to four minutes of the chew, bulking agents such as sugar or sorbitol and maltitol have the highest solubility and, therefore, are chewed out first. As these components dissolve in the consumers' saliva and slide down the esophagus, they are no longer retained in the gum base or perceived by the chewer. During the next phase of the chew in the four to six-minute range, intense sweeteners and some acids are dissolved and chewed out. These components last slightly longer than the bulking agents because they have a slightly lower solubility. Next, encapsulated flavors are released during either 10–15 minutes into the chew or after 30–45 minutes. Encapsulated flavors remain incorporated in the gum base longer because the molecules that they are encapsulated in are more easily held within the gum matrix. Finally, during the last phase of the chew, softeners such as corn syrup and glycerin and other textural modifiers are dissolved, resulting in a firming up of the gum and the end of the chew. [24] BHT is an antioxidant that’s added to many processed foods as a preservative. It stops food from going bad by preventing fats from becoming rancid.a b c d e f g h Estruch, RA (2008). "Gum base". In Fritz, D (ed.). Formulation and Production of Chewing and Bubble Gum (2ed.). Essex: Kennedy's Publications Ltd. pp.93–118. How does chewing during stress-inducing conditions suppress the autonomic nervous system and HPA axis? We suggest that stress-coping activities such as chewing engage the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the right central nucleus of amygdala neuronal activity asymmetrically [ 86]. The mPFC is critically involved in the regulation of stress-induced physiologic and behavioral responses [ 87– 90]. Dopamine mainly controls the stress-related actions of the mPFC [ 91, 92]. Mice and rats exposed to an inescapable stress will chew on an inedible material, such as aluminum foil or cardboard, in the cage [ 76, 93]. Under inescapable stress conditions, chewing suppresses increases in plasma corticosterone [ 94]. Moreover, chewing also attenuates stress-related dopamine utilization preferentially within the mPFC [ 93]. Chewing-induced suppression of mPFC dopamine utilization is largely confined to the right hemisphere [ 93]. Together, these observations suggest a particularly important role for the right mPFC in stress-coping behavior. Chewing leads to an increase in fos-immunoreactivity that is selective for the right mPFC and a decrease in fos-immunoreactivity that is selective for the central nucleus of the right amygdala, a region that may regulate dopamine, both of which are implicated in regulating dopamine utilization in the mPFC, particularly under stress-inducing conditions [ 94– 96]. In addition, chewing during stress-inducing conditions also attenuates the stress-induced release of noradrenaline in the amygdala [ 4, 22, 63]. Therefore chewing-induced changes in catecholamines in the mPFC and right central nucleus of the amygdala play an important role in stress-coping behavior. Concern has arisen about the possible carcinogenicity of the vinyl acetate (acetic acid ethenyl ester) used by some manufacturers in their gum bases. Currently, the ingredient can be hidden in the catch-all term "gum base". The Canadian government at one point classified the ingredient as a "potentially high hazard substance." [58] However, on 31 January 2010, the Government of Canada's final assessment concluded that exposure to vinyl acetate is not considered to be harmful to human health. [59] This decision under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) was based on new information received during the public comment period, as well as more recent information from the risk assessment conducted by the European Union. Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microstructural bone deterioration, with an increased risk of fracture [ 56]. A large body of evidence from animal and human studies indicates a link between chronic mild stress and bone loss [ 57– 59]. We examined the effects of chewing during chronic stress on stress-induced bone loss. Chewing under chronic stress prevents the increase in plasma corticosterone and noradrenaline levels, which attenuates both the reduced bone formation and increased bone resorption, and improves the trabecular bone loss and microstructural bone deterioration induced by chronic mild stress [ 27].