Lifestyle: 7 reasons you should stop chewing gum

Some of us cannot do without chewing gum daily. This is because the flavour or mint of the gum help masks or prevent mouth odour.

While there are positive benefits of chewing gum, there are also downsides you should never ignore. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares some of these downsides.

It makes you hungry

Chewing gum can activate your hunger pangs. Thus increasing your cravings for food. So, if you do not want to get hungry, do not eat gum immediately after consuming mama put. This can also help put your weight in check.

Tooth damage

If the gum you chew contains sugar, you are exposing yourself to tooth decay. It makes no difference if it is a sugar-free gum, there are still risks to your teeth. This is because sugar-free gum has acidic flavours and preservatives that may lead to tooth damage.

Excess strain on your jaw

Chewing gum can cause jaw muscle imbalance especially if you chew on one side more than the other. To prevent this jaw strain or pain, you should chew on both sides.

Causes headaches

Young individuals who chew gum are more susceptible to headaches and severe migraines. This is due to the fact that you suffer from jaw strain and this can cause headaches.

Artificial sweeteners are linked to cancer

Like earlier said, it makes no difference whether your gum contains sugar or not. This is because sugar-free gum has artificial sweeteners which are usually used to replace sugar. The most common one is aspartame which is a harmful ingredient that has been linked to cancers, brain tumours, weight gain and birth defects.

It can result in farting

Chewing gum allows too much air into your body. This can result in bloating which is why you fart very often.

It doesn't prevent bad breath

Bad breath is a symptom of digestive problems or excessive tooth decay. You should deal with the root cause of the problem rather than using chewing gum to hide it. You will realise that even if you stop chewing it, the halitosis still remains.