It is known that chewing gum is good for oral health, now a new study suggests it might even speed the return of normal bowel function after colon surgery. Researchers, from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California, believe that chewing gum stimulates the same nerves as eating, thereby promoting the release of hormones that activate the gastrointestinal tract.

In a small study, published in the February edition of the journal Archives of Surgery, 34 volunteers were divided into two groups, one chewing sugarless gum three-times a day, the other not. The gum-chewing group left the hospital after an average of 4.3 days, compared with 6.8 days for the control group.