Humans have been chewing gum for centuries, and there's a lot more that comes with a piece of gum
than just a kick of flavor. We decided to dig in to learn a bit more. And as it turns out,
bubble gum has a few secrets under its wrapper.
Chewing gum, of course, requires the use of your teeth,
as that's what allows you to partake in the movement of chomping down on a piece of gum.
But what if it's causing some serious damage to those pearly whites along the way?
"Just like candy, sugar filled bubble gum is harmful to your teeth and since it's gum,
it's in the mouth for an extended period of time, causing even more damage."
According to Healthline, when you introduce sugar into your mouth, it's digested by bad bacteria.
This stimulates plaque to begin growing and increasing on your teeth,
and with too much plaque, it can ultimately cause increased effects of tooth decay over
shorter periods of time. It all depends on the type of gum you're chewing,
but to be on the safe side, it's best to keep an eye on that sugar amount listed on the label.
Have you ever chewed a piece of gum for an extended period of time only to come to
realize your jaw, or the area around your ear, was actually pretty tender? While sometimes we only
experience that feeling of pain for a short while, those with Temporomandibular Joint Disorder,
or TMJ, deal with it on a daily basis. TMJ creates a clicking or popping sound
at the joint of your jaw, which can also cause muscle spasms or pain in your face.
According to Dr. Gary Lowder, a dentist at the University of Utah School of Dentistry,
chewing gum can actually be a cause of TMJ because of the repetitive stress chewing puts
on those parts of your body. And many experts recommend that those who are diagnosed with TMJ
stop their chewing of gum altogether. Verywell Health advises that avoiding chewing gum can help
to limit the excessive use of a person's jaw joint and muscles, giving them much-needed time to rest.
One study published in the Journal of Pediatric Neurology looked at the correlation between
people ages six to 19 who experienced chronic tension and migraine headaches and compared
that data to how often they chewed gum. The study found that, for most of the subjects,
they were chewing gum every single day, often for multiple hours on end.
Once they stopped their perpetual gum chewing, their headaches occurred less often,
they weren't as severe and some were even relieved of headaches altogether.
While this study, in particular, believed the cause was from the motion of chewing gum
and the way it constantly works the temporomandibular joint,
other studies have shown the effects of aspartame, an artificial sweetener
used in some varieties of gum, to have a direct correlation with headaches as well.
We've all heard that age-old myth about swallowing gum -
"You made me swallow my gum… It's gonna be in my digestive tract for SEVEN YEARS!"
So let's just get that taken care of first
- No, swallowing a piece of gum won't cause it to sit in your stomach for seven years.
However, that doesn't mean our bodies have the ability to digest it perfectly, either.
Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterology specialist at New York University's Langone Medical Center,
told Insider that bubble gum actually passes through your digestive system pretty quickly,
similar to any other food you eat. But the kicker here is that it just ends up mixing along the way
with the food you are successfully digesting until it all makes its way out in your stool.
Because gum is made from many synthetic materials, our bodies simply can't break
down the ingredients. So, just as our body does with other items such as accidental popcorn seeds
or cherry pits we swallow, the digestive system moves it along until it eventually flushes out.
Fun fact - it turns out, gum has the ability to, unintentionally, speed up the digestive system.
Many types of gum contain sorbitol. This sweetener is used because it has one-third
of the calories that sugar does, but it's far sweeter. But according to gastroenterologist
Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, sorbitol has the potential to work as something else.
"Sugarless gum uses sorbitol as a sweetener. We use sorbitol as a laxative."
Health noted several studies that have found that consuming products with a lot of sorbitol,
or consuming sorbitol in high amounts leads to gas,
bloating, cramps, and even diarrhea in high amounts.
Now, this doesn't mean that all types of gum contain sorbitol or will produce these results,
but it's definitely something worth considering if you're chewing multiple sticks of gum per day.
Lanolin is especially popular for use in skincare products because it's wildly hydrating,
ultimately softening skin along the way, reducing wrinkles, and for some,
it's even a great treatment for dry hair.
But what actually is lanolin? According to Healthline, lanolin comes from a sheep's skin.
It's an oil secreted by their glands that is obtained once a sheep is sheared and
the oil is extracted from its wool. And while all of that still sounds wonderful
for products you don't actually ingest, lanolin is used in bubble gum as well.
Just as it's used in skin and hair products to soften, it's used just the same way in chewing
gum. As manufacturers begin with a gum base, it needs to be kept soft and chewy. After all,
that's what allows us to enjoy it. And lanolin does just the trick.
As with many of the downsides found in gum,
it's all about the brand you're chewing and the ingredients on the list.
But many brands of gum include carcinogens in their ingredients list, hiding in plain sight.
BHT, or butylated hydroxytoluene, is found in a multitude of brands, including Trident Gum and
Dubble Bubble. And while the ingredients list on those packages note that the inclusion of BHT is
meant to maintain the product's freshness, it may be doing more than that. Studies have found that
BHT can cause kidney or liver damage due to the introduction of toxic materials to your organs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stood by its assessment of BHT being safe,
but several countries around the world have actually banned its use due to its
potential as a carcinogen, though it still may be found in the bubble gum you're chewing today.
Veganism omits the consumption of any product that utilizes
animals from their diets such as eggs, meat, and dairy.
"I partake not in the meat nor the breast milk, nor the ovum of any creature with a face."
And while food can be a bit straightforward as to what contains animal products or byproducts,
candy products aren't so cut and dry.
As we now know, many types of bubble gum contain lanolin, which is a byproduct of sheep.
Ultimately, gum options with lanolin cannot be considered truly vegan.
But many gum manufacturers also include gelatin in their ingredients list. According to the
International Chewing Gum Association, gelatin gives a specific desired texture to chewing gum,
making it the ideal ingredient. But gelatin also comes from animals, utilizing pieces of cows
and pigs such as bones and hides, making it unsuitable for a vegan diet as well.
Some brands like Simply Gum and Pur Gum boast that they are, in fact, vegan,
but it all comes down to studying the label to truly find out.
When we chew bubble gum, it's tricking our brains into thinking that we're actually
eating. After all, it does require constant, repetitive chewing motions.
But tricking our brains into thinking there's food entering the body
may not be all that great. According to the Deccan Chronicle, when we put food in our
mouths to begin chewing, our brain lets our digestive system know, and it begins to prep.
As the digestive system prepares for the intake of food and gets ready for digestion, gastric juices
are secreted to be able to break down substances. But when you're chewing gum, there's no food that
moves to your stomach to break down, so an excess of digestive juices is created with nowhere to go.
If your gum of choice happens to be peppermint, the excess digestive juices may have nowhere to go
but up. According to Healthline, peppermint has a tendency to relax the lower esophageal sphincter.
With this part of the digestive tract open, acid can flow into the esophagus,
causing the burning pain associated with acid reflux.
There's nothing that can ruin your morning walk faster than stepping on
a recently chewed piece of bubble gum and walking it through the streets.
And because of the mess it makes, in New York City it's actually someone's job
just to clean hardened gum off city streets. The Times Square Alliances dedicates an employee three
days a week to removing gum with a special machine, affectionately called — GumBusters.
"It's a miracle. It's gone. There's no trace of that gum. That gum is busted."
But in Singapore, the need to clean up after people became all too much. After finding gum
on subway doors, tucked in crevices, and on the streets, Singapore's government decided
to do something about it. A ban on gum was introduced in 1992, deterring citizens from
leaving their chewed gum anywhere, just as laws were outlined around littering and graffiti.
Silver fillings, or dental amalgam fillings, have been used to fill cavities for over a century,
but they have certainly come with some debate. The fillings are made up of a mixture of liquid
mercury and powdered alloy, causing some concern for the levels of mercury it may release.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stood by
its evaluation of the safety of silver fillings for years,
but many patients and dentists have opted for other types of fillings to best suit their needs.
And while amalgam fillings have had no links to health problems in clinical studies,
those who have a habit of chewing bubble gum may be more at risk of releasing
the mercury found in these fillings into the bloodstream. According to the Deccan Chronicle,
as someone chews gum, the motion causes the fillings to release mercury vapors,
which can ultimately move into the bloodstream, and mercury poisoning has the potential to cause
permanent damage to an adult's brain and kidneys. And while the amount may
be very low, mercury in your bloodstream is certainly a bit unnerving to think about.
There are plenty of people out there who opt to chew gum as a way to lose weight.
Instead of snacking, this low-calorie option may help to satisfy a craving.
But what if the gum you were chewing is doing just the opposite?
If you're a stress eater, gum can definitely keep your mouth occupied.
But if you're reaching for sweetened gum to do the job, it can trick your mind into thinking
you need to eat carbohydrates. According to Women's Health, sweetened bubble gum
introduced to your taste buds sends a signal that means it's time for carbs and calories.
But because the gum doesn't deliver on its promise, with really no substance to it,
your stomach ends up craving sugar, leading you to ultimately crave junk food.
At the same time, mint-flavored gum may be adding to those effects.
According to The Guardian, after you chew mint gum, fruits and vegetables taste pretty gross.
It's the exact same reaction as when you drink orange juice after brushing your teeth.
So, if your stomach is craving sugar, but you don't want to reach for a healthier option such
as a banana or a bowl of strawberries, reaching for a bag of potato chips is far more likely.
The Seattle Gum Wall collects millions of pieces of gum, and tourists come from all
over the world to walk through the alley where the gum wall calls home,
taking selfies along the way. And while many find it oddly interesting,
while somewhat disgusting, the attraction had always seemed to cause no harm.
But as it turns out, gum actually has the potential to ruin a brick wall.
In 2015, the Seattle Gum Wall was scrubbed to remove all of the gum
from the famed attraction — the first time it had ever been done in 20 years.
The Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority found that because of the sugar content
and chemicals in the gum, it may be detrimental to the building the attraction was housed on. With
the sheer amount of bubble gum covering the side of a historic building, cleaners needed to suit up
in head-to-toe gear to steam wash and scrape the wall in order to eliminate the potential
harm and deterioration of the brick it was causing and to preserve the building's history.
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