Conventional Chewing Gum Is Plastic That You Put In Your Mouth
Conventional chewing gums, which are happily consumed, are full of substances that are not recommended for health and for the environment. There are natural alternatives ..
Chewing gum is useful, there is no denying it. Thanks to chewing gum, we can enjoy fresh breath after each meal, and it is also said that small chewing facilitates digestion and even stimulates brain performance. But have you ever wondered what you have between your teeth when you chew gum?
Chewing gum is not a modern phenomenon. More than 9,000 years ago, Scandinavians chewed birch wood. And the very term chicle that we use in Spanish is a word from the Nahuatl language that has been spoken in the territory of Mexico since the 5th century. Nahuatl chicle is a gummy material obtained from the Manilkara zapata tree .
The original chewing gum for which the American Amos Taylor registered the first patent in 1869 also consisted of the mass obtained from the sap of this tree. Today, chewing gum consists only in rare cases and in small proportions of natural chewing gum.
What is today’s chewing gum made of?
A look at the ingredient list on gum packets is rarely informative – after all, “gum mass” is not an accurate term.
The reality is that the chewy dough is mostly made up of synthetic plastics that are ultimately petroleum products, like polyvinyl acetate. Adhesives and rubber gloves are made of very similar substances.
In short, conventional chewing gum doesn’t just have a plastic container. When we chew gum we have plastic in our mouths.
Chewing gum can harm the environment and health
The ingredients in conventional chewing gum suggest that it is unhealthy and that it also pollutes the environment. A strip of chewing gum contains a lot of plastic, which is not biodegradable and hardly rots. We can see it in the indelible stains that adorn the sidewalks of the streets and you become aware of its persistence when you have the misfortune to step on a fresh one. That is why chewing gum cannot be thrown away as organic waste.
Whether gum is harmful to your body largely depends on how often you chew it. Sugar-free gum often contains sorbitol, a sugar substitute, which has a laxative effect and can cause diarrhea if consumed in excess.
The synthetic sweetener aspartame (E951), on the other hand, can modify the intestinal flora in a way that facilitates weight gain and the rate of blood sugar. Aspartame is also not suitable for people suffering from the metabolic disease phenylketonuria. For this reason, foods that contain aspartame should be labeled “contains a source of phenylalanine.”
Other substances in gum
A study carried out by the Danish Consumer Council (THINK Chemicals) indicates that in 157 brands of chewing gum analyzed, two out of three contain endocrine disruptors. These are found in additives such as E320 or BHA and E321 or BHT. Both are artificial food antioxidants. In animal studies it has been shown to cause damage and it is suspected that it can also cause damage in humans.
Natural chewing gum as an alternative
If you like to chew gum and have fresh breath, it is better to switch to natural gum The characteristics of the different natural gum that you can find in the market are:
- The gum is obtained from vegetable resins, carnauba wax or beeswax.
- Instead of sugar, they contain xylitol or steviol glycosides.
- They are vegan and biodegradable.
- Contains no synthetic substances, only organic and often fair trade ingredients.
- They come in sustainable recycled cardboard packaging.
If you do not find any alternative that convinces you, you can always chew licorice sticks or fennel seeds, if you like the flavors a little stronger. Of course, you will not be able to make balloons.
