A small study suggests that chewing gum after colon surgery may speed the return of normal bowel function and shorten patients' hospital stays, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Surgery.
Any type of abdominal surgery can cause ileus, a marked decrease or stoppage of intestinal function, according to background information in the article. Pain, vomiting and abdominal distension are the immediate consequences. Ileus also can lead to longer hospital stays, an increased risk of infection and problems breathing, the authors report.
Rob Schuster, MD, and colleagues at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, California, studied 34 patients who underwent sigmoid colon resection, in which surgeons remove a portion of the large intestine, for cancer or recurrent diverticular diseases. Seventeen of the patients chewed sugarless gum three times a day beginning the morning after their surgeries and lasting until their first bowel movement. The other 17 patients, who did not differ in age, gender, reason for surgery or number of previous surgeries, served as controls.
The gum-chewing group left the hospital after an average of 4.3 days, compared with 6.8 days for the control group. Chewing gum may stimulate the same nerves in the body as eating, promoting the release of hormones that activate the gastrointestinal tract, the researchers write.
(2 October 2008) Martek Biosciences Corporation says its life'sDHA is featured in the new Live Bright Brain Health Bar, the latest offering from Kellogg. Each bar contains 100 mg of life'sDHA and w...
(1 October 2008) Givaudan Flavours is launching its new ByNature program for the European market with a series of natural culinary profiles for meat flavours. The Givaudan ByNature culinary meat ra...
(1 October 2008) Royal DSM N.V. has inaugurated its new polymer plant in Jiangyin (Jiangsu province, China). The plant produces high viscosity grades of Akulon polyamide 6 (PA6) aimed at the fast ...
(1 October 2008) McNeil Nutritionals has launched Splenda No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber, a no-calorie sweetener for foods and beverages with one gram of fiber in each packet. The product answers ...
(1 October 2008) ‘Super grains’ might take flight, albeit gradually, in the region. White bread remains largely popular in the market, although unpolished rice is a staple food in some Asian regio...
(1 October 2008) Martek Biosciences Corp says revenues for the third quarter of the fiscal year 2008 were $88.4 million, up 14% from $77.8 million in the same period last year. Net income was $9.3...
(1 October 2008) GLG Life Tech and Weider Global Nutrition (WGN) say they have signed a definitive agreement to set up a venture, GLG Weider Sweet Naturals, to sell dietary and tabletop supplement...
(1 October 2008) A recent clinical study shows NAT’Life’s Powergrape is a natural ingredient that promotes efficacy in physical performance and cell oxygenation in humans. Powergrape maximizes phy...
Marks & Spencer has opened its first store in mainland China with hopes that it might lift flagging results. As the flagship store opened on West Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s premier shopping street, the UK retailer reported its worst performance for three years with like-for-like UK sales down by over six per cent over the last three months.
Sorin Minea, chairman of the Romanian Federation of Food Industry Business Owners (Romalimenta) says the food industry is currently overdeveloped in Romania and explains that the weight of current expenses...
US grocers including Whole Foods Market, Kroger and Stop & Shop have had to hire third party verifiers to root out produce that contains pesticide residue despite organic seals. Some supposedly organic producers are certifying conventionally-grown produce in order to increase the price.
Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, has shown it operates best in tough markets, racking up a 10.3 per cent increase in profit of €1,824 billion for the first six months of 2008 to 23 August. Total sales rose 13.8 per cent to €32.1 billion.
Metro is currently a patchwork of conventional grocery stores under the banners A&P, Dominion, Loeb, The Barn, Ultra and Food Basics. What the third-largest grocer in Canada is planning to do is change banners in order to shed stale concepts and mixed consumer impressions.
Walmart has started listing the groceries it stocks online in a Beta section of their website listing thousands of food and other grocery-type products. The site also communicates nutritional information to consumers.
