Chewing Gum for Heart Burn

So you’ve eaten an acid-rich meal. And you just know you’ll be suffering later from acid reflux. You toss a piece of gum in your mouth, hoping to stave off any bad breath that may be associated with the disease, but you also find some relief. Don’t be shocked: Chewing gum for heart burn is, according to studies, one way to reduce reflux. One such study has found that chomping on a piece of gum actually lowers the amount of acid in the esophagus after consuming high fat foods.

Millions of people experience some form of heartburn. The acids from the stomach interact with the tender tissue of the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. Recently, a King’s County (London) study found that the length of time experiencing heartburn was cut in half after chewing gum for 30 minutes after finishing a meal. A special probe run down the esophagus was used to measure the pH for two hours after eating. Participants in the study ate the same foods, comprised of 60 percent fat and made to specifically produce acid in the stomach. Half the group chewed gum, while the second half went without.

The findings were shocking. PH levels were highly acidic for nine minutes in those without the gum; those who chewed gum only suffered elevated acids for four-and-a-half minutes. They also complained less about discomfort than the non-gum chewers.

How does chewing gum for heartburn relieve the effects of stomach acids in the esophagus? The gum doesn’t actually act as a dam keeping the acid in the stomach, but it helps promote saliva. Saliva actually soothes heartburn by neutralizing acid in the throat.

The UK study is only a baby step in the realm of treating heart burn. Larger studies need to be completed before doctors will say for sure whether or not there is a correlation between chewing gum for heart burn and neutralizing acids in the stomach. That being said, professionals also agree that there is no harm in chewing gum immediately following a meal, so go ahead and unwrap your favorite stick of gum and try and chew that heart burn away.