Gum: composition, harm and benefits

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Chewing gum, popularly called chewing gum, is a lifesaver in everyone's daily life.

Sometimes it happens that some situations make it impossible to brush your teeth. Or you need to freshen your breath before a business meeting or date. That's when chewing gum comes to the rescue.

Although not everyone is delighted with her. Some question the chemical composition of gum. But is chewing gum really that bad?

History of occurrence

The origin of chewing gum is rooted in the distant past, namely, the first mention of it appeared 5000 years ago in Ancient Greece.

Greeks and also Middle Easterners brushed their teeth by chewing rubber and mastic tree resin. So these tools can be safely called the first prototypes of chewing gum.

But the origin of chewing gum, which approximately resembled real, dates back to 1848. Of course, it is very different from the modern one. The basis for chewing gum, the composition - all this was based on rubber. Yes, and she looked different.

It was created by John Curtis, an Englishman who created gum from resin with the addition of beeswax. He sliced it into piecessmall pieces, wrapped in paper and put up for sale. Somewhat later, Curtis added spices and paraffin to his invention, which gave the chewing gum flavor. Although all this did not save the situation, the fact that the chewing gum could not withstand the heat and sunlight in any way and in a short time lost its presentation.

Gum, the composition of which was very primitive, underwent some changes only in 1884. Thomas Adams became the author of improved chewing gum.

His first gum had an elongated shape and a licorice flavor that didn't last long. It was decided to fix the problem by adding sugar and corn syrup.

Since then, chewing gum has gradually taken on the appearance of the product that everyone is used to seeing in our time.

Adams was the creator of the first fruit-flavored gum called Tutti Frutti. By the way, this chewing gum is still being produced today.

In 1892, Wrigley`s Spearmint, still known to this day, appeared, the creator of which was William Wrigley. In addition, he improved the technical production of the product - the chewing gum itself, the composition has changed: the shape has become expressed in the form of a plate or a ball, components such as powdered sugar, fruit additives have been added.

Chemical components of chewing gum

At the beginning of the last century, chewing gum manufacturers came up with a single formula for what a real chewing gum should be. Its composition looked like this:

1. Sugar or substitutes make up 60%.

2. Rubber - 20%.

3. Flavored components - 1%.

4. Corn Syrup for Flavor Extension – 19%.

Modern manufacturers produce their products with the following composition:

1. Chew base.

2. Aspartame.

3. Starch.

4. Coconut oil.

5. Various dyes.

6. Glycerol.

7. Flavors of natural and artificial nature.

8. Technical ionol.

9. Acids: malic and citric.

This composition raises doubts about the usefulness of chewing gum. But without chemical components, modern chewing gum would not be able to retain its taste for a long time, be subject to long-term storage.

Benefits of chewing gum

The use of chewing gum, although it causes a lot of controversy about its benefits and harms, nevertheless, this does not detract from its relevance. Chewing this product brings benefits to the person.

• Chewing gum makes breath fresh and pleasant.
• Regular chewing helps strengthen gums. This is true, but for this you need to chew evenly on both sides of the mouth, otherwise you can develop facial asymmetry.
• Preserves the acid-base environment of the mouth.

Harmful chewing gum

Every day, hundreds of thousands of people, and maybe more, chew gum, not thinking about its effect on the body. But chewing gum can be harmful.

• Regular use disrupts normal saliva production. Salivation quantitatively increases, and this is negativedeviation from the norm.
• You can't chew gum on an empty stomach. The result of this can be the production of gastric juice, which will irritate the walls of the stomach, which will eventually lead to the formation of gastritis.
• Despite the fact that chewing gum strengthens the gums, it can also negatively affect their condition. The result can be impaired circulation, which will lead to inflammation or periodontal disease.
• Recently, scientists have found that regular chewing of gum contributes to a slow reaction and deterioration of mental abilities.
• If you have fillings on your teeth, chewing gum can cause them to fall out.
• Chemical carcinogens have negative effects on the body, including can provoke the development of various diseases. The gastrointestinal tract may be the first to suffer.

Myths about chewing gum

Gum is a popular product. Commercials daily claim that its regular use will bring a lot of benefits, for example, it will protect teeth from caries, give them perfect whiteness, and freshen breath. But which of these is true and which is just a publicity stunt?

Myth 1: chewing gum will prevent cavities and clean your teeth of food debris. The plausibility of this statement is about 50 to 50. Of course, chewing gum will not protect against caries, but it can remove food debris, as a result of which chewing gum can be used when there is no way to brush your teeth.

Myth 2: Gum will create a Hollywood smile. Alas, butthis is an empty advertising promise.

Myth 3: Chewing gum will speed up weight loss. Many believe that chewing chewing gum reduces the feeling of hunger, respectively, you want to eat less. But this is a delusion. Also, don't chew gum on an empty stomach.

Myth 4: Swallowed gum will stay in the stomach for several years. This cannot be. The chewing gum will be eliminated from the body naturally in a couple of days.

"Orbit". What's inside?

"Orbit" - chewing gum, the composition of which includes various artificial fillers. However, this manufacturer is quite famous, which justifies the huge popularity of his product.

Looking at the composition of the chewing gum "Orbit", which is indicated on the back of the package, you can see the following elements:

• Chew base - polymer latex.

• Components that create a sweet taste - m altitol E965, sorbitol E420, mannitol E421, aspartame E951, acesulfame K E950.

• Various flavors, natural and artificial, depending on the intended flavor of the gum.

• Coloring agents: E171 - titanium dioxide, which gives the chewing gum a snow-white color.

• Additional components: emulsifier E322 - soy lecithin, antioxidant E321 - an artificial substitute for vitamin E, which inhibits oxidation, sodium bicarbonate E500ii, thickener E414, emulsifier and defoamer, stabilizer E422, glazing agent E903.

There is also an "Orbit" variant without contentsweeteners. The composition of gum "Orbit" without sugar is the same as regular gum, only it contains sweeteners: xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol.

"Dirol": component composition

Dirol is another well-known manufacturer of chewing gum. The components from which it is made are different from those used for Orbit, but there are still some similarities.

Composition of chewing gum "Dirol":

• Chew base - polymer latex.

• Sweeteners - isom alt E953, sorbitol E420, mannitol E421, m altitol syrup, acesulfame K E950, xylitol, aspartame E951.

• Flavor additions depend on the intended flavor of the gum.

• Dyes - E171, E170 (calcium carbonate 4%, white dye).

• Additional elements - emulsifier E322, antioxidant E321 - an artificial substitute for vitamin E, which helps to inhibit oxidation processes, stabilizer E441, texturizer E341iii, thickener E414, emulsifier and defoamer, stabilizer E422, glazing agent E903.

E422, when it enters the bloodstream, causes intoxication of the body.

E321 increases the level of bad cholesterol.

E322 increases the production of saliva, which subsequently negatively affects the digestive tract.

Citric acid can provoke the formation of tumors.

Eclipse chewing gum

The composition of the chewing gum "Eclipse" is as followsway:

• Base - latex.

• Sweeteners – m altitol, sorbitol, mannitol, acesulfame K, aspartame.

• Flavors are used natural and identical to natural. They depend on the taste of chewing gum.

• Coloring agents - calcium carbonate 4%, E 171, blue dye, E 132.

• Additional substances - E 414 (gum arabic), stabilizer E 422, glazing agent E 903, antioxidant E 321.

Gum "Avalanche of freshness"

Chewing gum Avalanche of Freshness is available in small balls of blue, light blue and green.

This chewing gum is sold not in packaged packages of several pieces, but by weight. But basically, the sale of such chewing gum is carried out through special machines - by the piece.

Chewing gum "Avalanza of freshness" composition has the following composition: latex, powdered sugar, caramel syrup, glucose, flavoring "Bubble Gum" and "Menthol", coloring components "shiny blue" and "sea wave", E171, E903.

If you evaluate the composition of chewing gums, the conclusion about their "usefulness" suggests itself. However, few people think about the consequences that chewing gum can cause.

On the other hand, chewing gum can help out in some situations.