You can chew gum and recover from surgery at the same time, according to researchers at Imperial College London. Chewing sugar-free gum that contains sorbitol, a common artificial sweetener known to have a laxative effect, may speed the return of normal bowel function after colon surgery. A new analysis of five studies with a total of 158 patients found chewing gum may fool the body into good digestion as it literally gets the juices flowing. In addition to saliva, it may stimulate gut hormones and pancreatic secretions, according to the study.