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ChangingMinds Blog! > Blog Archive > 25-Mar-11

Friday 25-March-11

Chewing on stress

How do you relieve stress? Some go running, do yoga or other external activity, though you cannot do these in an active moment of stress. You cannot sometimes even take a short break.

Andrew Smith, a researcher Cardiff University, conducted a survey of over 2,000 people and found that the 39 per cent who reported never chewing gum were twice as likely to be 'extremely stressed at work', as compared with gum chewers, and were 150 per cent as likely to say they were very or extremely stressed with life in general! Chewing gum was also associated with better mental and physical health and was negatively correlated with depression, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Chewing gum was found more often in women, lower earners, younger, less educated respondents, smokers, people with demanding jobs and neurotic extraverts.

In short, chewing gum seems to be good for you!

Explanations ranged from the effect of chewing gum on the autonomic nervous system activity to production of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Reference:
Smith, A. (2009). Chewing gum, stress and health Stress and Health, 25 (5),445-451