A new study has found that chewing gum can improve digestion after heart surgery, and may also help improve metabolism, as the report published on the “Times of India” website explains everything you need to know about this new study.
What does the study say?
A new study has found that chewing gum after heart surgery may help restore its digestive system to function, helping patients feel better and possibly be discharged from the hospital sooner than those who do not use this generally safe and simple intervention.
Benefits of chewing gum after heart surgery
According to the researchers, chewing gum after surgery is an effective and inexpensive intervention that helps patients feel better after surgery.
For the study, presented at the 18th Annual Surgery Cycle, the first group involved 341 patients who underwent heart surgeries from 2017 to 2020 and participated in a sugar-free gum protocol after their operations.
The second group included 496 patients who underwent similar heart surgeries between 2013 and 2016, but who did not share the chewing gum protocol after their operations.
chewing gum
The study found that only two of the first group that ate chewing gum after surgery, 0.59%, experienced normal muscle contractions in the intestines that lead to the accumulation of nutrients, while 17 patients in the second group that did not eat gum, 3.43%, experienced this condition.
Short closure of the gastrointestinal tract is among the most common complications after heart surgery, occurring in up to 5.5% of patients, and although it is not a major health concern, it may lead to abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, and vomiting, Constipation, difficulty tolerating a normal diet and all these factors slow down the healing process and require a longer hospital stay.
