Tips & Facts About Chewing Gum

Americans are the largest consumers of chewing gum in the world and spend millions of dollars a year on the candy, choosing from over 1,000 varieties. Some tips and facts on chewing gum might help us understand where this relationship with gum came from and why it is so popular in the 2000s.

History

• The story of chewing gum began with the ancient Greeks, who chewed gum made from the resin of a tree. Ancient Mayans and North American Indians also chewed the sap from trees. Chewing gum was first produced commercially in the 1860s using chicle, a substance made from the sap of the sapodilla tree in Mexico. The trees eventually could not keep up with demand, and synthetic alternatives such as paraffin and rubber were used. Ohio dentist William Finley Semple became the first person to patent a chewing gum in 1869.

Facts and Figures

• Chewing gum is banned in Singapore, due to the mess it makes on the pavements, and it can only be obtained by prescription for therapeutic reasons. According to the International Chewing Gum Association, Americans chew the most gum, with an average of 182 sticks per person each year. In the UK consumption is 125 sticks per person, in Germany 103, in Russia 84, in China 20 and in India 4. According to gum maker Wrigley, 50 percent of Americans chew gum, and to grow all the mint needed for its gums, Wrigley needs 53 square miles of land, about 30,550 football fields. There are 19 Wrigley manufacturing plants across the world -- five of which are in North America.

Tips

• Chewing sugar-free gum is good for your teeth because it produces saliva, which cleans the teeth and mouth and also helps to replace lost tooth minerals. This is most effective if you chew gum immediately after eating. Chewing between meals is also good for oral health if it prevents snacking. In 2002 Andrew Scholey of the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, UK, led a study which he reported showed that chewing gum improved memory. For any sticky messes that may occur, to get chewing gum off material, one common method is to freeze it and then chip it off.

How It Is Made

• In the early 21st century, the gum base is made from synthetic ingredients such as polymers, waxes and softeners. These are melted, and the flavors and sweeteners added along with glycerin and other vegetable oil products to keep it soft. Preservatives are also used. The gum is shaped or flattened and coated or sprinkled with powered sweetener to prevent sticking; it is then cooled and set before being packaged.