I came across a strange headline: "Chewing can reduce the risk of premature birth."

It turned out that it was about chewing gum.

Scientists spent three years studying how proper chewing is associated with a decrease in the incidence of premature birth and low birth weight babies in one poor African country.

Three years! That's how long the study lasted.

Valentine's team observed two groups of pregnant women in Malawi for three years: 4,500 of them chewed gum with xylitol, and 5,500 received consultations and medications.

Based on the results, it was concluded that chewing gum helped reduce the number of premature births by a quarter — this is when a child is born before 37 weeks. And the number of cases when babies were born with low birth weight — less than 2.5 kg — decreased by a third.

After a little digging on the Internet, I found that one cubic millimeter of plaque contains about 100 million bacteria, which first provoke inflammation, and then cause infections throughout the body. One cubic millimeter of plaque is slightly smaller than the tip of a sewing needle.

I also found that xylitol, which is contained in gum, kills the very bacteria that live in our mouths.

Xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol present in gums like Orbit and Trident, fights bacteria associated with gum disease and reduces inflammation in tissues.

However, xylitol has side effects. It looks like this research will take a few more years.

I mean that a digital avatar in the metaverse can really save precious time, especially in severe cases. Just imagine how many babies could be saved if such technology were already available.

#ChewingGum #PrematureBirth #PregnancyHealth #Xylitol #MalawiResearch