May 22--LONDON -- If you thought chewing gums were just a sweet way to keep your jaws active, then you were underestimating these sugarcoated tablets, for now even hospitals are thinking of recommending it to patients for a quick recovery after surgery.
A new National Health Service study has revealed that patients who undergo bowel surgery are deemed fit to go home, almost 1 1/2 days earlier than usual, if they are treated with chewing gums.
A chewing gum dose of 30 minutes at morning, noon and night results in initiating gastric hormones. This in turn stimulates the bowel and quickens the patients to carry on with their normal eat ing and drinking as compared to those who are not given gum. In fact, health chiefs actually touted this discovery as a cheap way to free up beds.
The six-month long study of 67 bowel operation patients at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, was led by consultant nurse Harriet Wright.
"Patients who received normal care went home four or five days after surgery But those who chewed the gum went . home an average of 1 1/2 days earlier. Gum gets patients better and home quicker," The Sun quoted her, as saying. She added: "We now recommend it after surgery to help bowels to recover quicker. Hopefully this will become practice now."
-----
To see more of the Hindustan Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hindustantimes.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.