Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in 2020, about 12% of U.S. adults still smoked. Many people who smoke try to quit but aren’t successful.

Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of chewing on stress, since Hollingworth [ 138] reported that masticatory movement reduced excessive muscular tension and energy. Soon after the report by Hollingworth, however, foot-tapping was reported to produce the same relaxing effects, suggesting that the stress-reducing effects were not specific to gum chewing [ 139]. Therefore, the benefits of gum chewing on stress remain a matter of debate. The effects of gum chewing on naturally occurring stress are consistently reported to be beneficial. For example, Zibell and Madansky [ 28] investigated whether chewing gum affects perceived levels of everyday stress among subjects who regularly chew gum or among subjects who do not usually chew gum. Stress levels and stress-specific emotions, such as feeling anxiety or tension, decreased after chewing gum, indicating that gum chewing reduces levels of anxiety and stress. Smith [ 29] performed a cross-sectional study of occupational stress in full-time workers and found that non-gum-chewers complained significantly more often of stress at work and home compared with gum chewers, and gum chewers had a lower incidence of high blood pressure. An intervention study revealed that chewing gum reduces occupational stress both at and outside of work, reducing fatigue, anxiety, and depression and leading to a more positive mood [ 29]. Chewing gum is also associated with perceptions of better performance [ 140]. Further, chewing gum is associated in a linear dose-response manner with levels of perceived stress at work and home, as well as anxiety and depression [ 141]. Similar findings were reported for university students [ 142]. Erbay et al. [ 143] examined whether chewing gum is a useful addition to traditional medical treatment of patients with mild to moderate depression and indicated that while chewing gum is not directly effective for elevating a depressed mood, it may reduce the symptoms originating from depression. Leah Zerbe (2 September 2009). "Chewing Gum Speeds Surgery Recovery". Rodale. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. This could be due to the act of chewing, which has been linked to reduced levels of stress hormones such as cortisol ( 27, 28). Schaeken, M.J.M.; Van Der Hoeven, J.S. (1993). "Control of Calculus Formation by a Dentifrice Containing Calcium Lactate". Caries Research. 27 (4): 277–79. doi: 10.1159/000261550. PMID 8402801. Canning, Kristin (26 January 2017). "Chewing Tons of Gum Can Actually Cause Diarrhea". Health.com . Retrieved 11 March 2022.At the moment, the amount and type of titanium dioxide people are exposed to in food is generally considered safe. Nevertheless, more research is needed to determine the safe consumption limit ( 9, 10, 11). Aspartame 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] However, more research is needed to determine whether chewing gum leads to a difference in weight over the long term. Summary

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value". www.fns.usda.gov. Appendix B of 7 CFR Part 210. Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 13 September 2013 . Retrieved 4 August 2017. Ever Wonder About Bubble Gum?". Science World British Columbia. 24 September 2013 . Retrieved 17 December 2016. Experts don’t fully understand how chewing gum improves memory. One theory is that this improvement is due to increased blood flow to the brain caused by chewing gum. With an increase in tooth decay and gum diseases all over the world, there is a need to produce oral cleaning agents that will better control caries-causing bacteria. Smith [ 134] examined whether gum chewing improves aspects of cognitive function and mood during exposure to a 75dB stress-inducing noise. His findings revealed that chewing gum was associated with both more alertness and more positive mood. Reaction times were faster in subjects who were allowed to chew gum. Chewing gum also improved selective and sustained attention. Both heart rate and cortisol levels were higher during chewing, confirming that chewing gum has an alerting effect rather than a stress-reducing effect, consistent with another report [ 170]. Therefore, the findings regarding gum chewing are mixed, with some indicating that chewing gum is associated with significantly better alertness or vigilance [ 30, 33, 134, 148, 171, 172] and others indicating no benefit of chewing gum for attention, self-related alertness, and vigilance [ 173, 174]. The differences in these reports may derive from the duration of the study and time required for the task [ 174, 175].Preservatives. These are added to extend shelf life. The most popular choice is an organic compound called butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).