People who have all or part of their colons removed recover more quickly if they chew gum, doctors reported in the Archives of Surgery.

According to a news release, the inability to pass food through the intestines is a common complication of surgery that costs $1 billion a year.

Researchers reviewed five trials in which people who chewed sugarless gum three times a day were compared to those who did not.

Patients who chewed were able to pass gas and have a bowel movement sooner than those who did not.

The authors said those patients were also able to leave the hospital more quickly, but the difference was not big enough to be sure if it was from the treatment.

They said that it is thought that chewing gum helps stimulate nerves in the digestive system.