'Mercurial' problems for regular gum chewers

Gum chewing has more effects than just the strengthening of jaws as is widely believed. And all of them might not be as good as this one. A recent study done in Sweden opines that chewing gum releases mercury from dental fillings, increasing its concentration in blood. The study undertaken by the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in West Sweden, found out that people with dental fillings who chewed gum for an average of 5 hours daily had a higher level of mercury in their blood and urine than those who chewed gum for a lesser duration. The test group consisted of 17 people who had amalgam filling in their teeth and chewed gum for 5 hours on an average daily. The control group consisted of people who chewed gum for less than 30 minutes in a week. The comparison of mercury levels between the two groups revealed clear differences. It was found that the regular gum chewers had twice the amount of mercury in their blood, and thrice the amount in their urine than the infrequent chewers. The level of mercury was also found to be related to the number of fillings an individual had.Mercury has been used for dental fillings for decades. However, raised levels of mercury in the body can cause damage to the brain and the nervous system in humans. Studies have also shown it to have a link to Alzheimer's disease, though this has not been confirmed.