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Chewing away to recovery

Chewing gum after surgery may make hospital stay shorter for patients who have had colon operations.

A small study published in The Archives of Surgery reports that patients who chewed sugarless gum recovered bowel function faster and spent less time in the hospital than those who did not chew.

The researchers tested 17 gum chewers and 17 matched patients who did not chew gum. All had undergone colon surgery.

The group that chewed gum on an average passed gas sooner, had their first bowel movement earlier and felt hungry faster than the control group.

The average gum chewer left the hospital in 4.3 days.Those who did not chew stayed for an average of 6.8 days

NYT

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