Chewing Gum May Speed Up Recovery from Colon Surgery
Okay, admittedly, this is stretching the ’superfoods’ label a bit, but hey, it does have a positive medical impact. Chewing gum has been demonstrate to help bowel movements get back to normal following colon surgery.
When the trial results were combined, patients who chewed gum took an average of .66 fewer days to pass flatus (gas) and an average of 1.10 fewer days to have a bowel movement, both signs of returning intestinal function. “Postoperative length of hospital stay was assessed in four trials comprising 134 patients,” the authors write. “This was also reduced in the chewing gum group by longer …read more
Chewing Gum Improves Post-Operative Bowel Function
First, lollipops against cavities. Now, chewing gum in post-operative care to improve gastric function.
Authors of the paper published in Urology evaluated 102 patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery and gave half of them 5 pieces of chewing gum per day after their operation. Chewing the gum is thought to stimulate the smooth muscle fibers and secretion from the salivary glands and liver. The 51 patients who chewed gum recovered their bowel movement significantly faster than those who did not.
Pediatric Urologist, Kropp will be giving his patients undergoing reconstructive surgery a piece of gum following their operation. He says, “ In today’s high-tech, …read more




