What is gum base anyway? Gum base is one of the main ingredients in modern chewing gum. It is considered a product that supports the edible and soluble portion of the chewing gum consisting of components such as resin, wax, and elastomer. Resin is the part that makes gum so chewy and twisty, whereas wax helps to soften the gum, and elastomer adds to its flexibility when you add gum base, sugar, glucose, flavors, and colors...tada! There's your chewing gum!
How did they come up with gum?
The Aztecs and Mayans had started to chew gum before commercial gum was ever an idea. It all started in the 1860s when a substance called "chicle" was initially brought to the US from Mexico, where they tapped a tropical tree named Manilkara chicle the way latex is tapped from rubber trees. The substance "chicle" was later used by a gum manufacturer famous in the early 1900s named Chiclets. Chiclets reappeared in 2019 and are manufactured in Mexico. Besides Chiclets, Wm Wrigley Jr Co launched its Spearmint and Juicy Fruit gums in the 1890s. Their goal was to create fun, chew-able-lasting-flavorful candy. It is still producing these worldwide selling gum products today.
![Gum base]( "Gum base")
The gum base is not water-soluble.
This means that there is no way that the gum base will dissolve when immersed in water. That is why you can chew and gnash on it for so long. Some research says that chewing sugarless gum is beneficial for your teeth because it increases your saliva flow, which washes away bacteria on tooth plaque. Hence, the sweet stuff we know we cannot resist will cause tooth decay because the saliva and sugar become a sweet mesmerizing bath for your teeth (since it is water-insoluble, remember?). It is considered acceptable to chew gum for one or two hours a day, but overdoing it can lead to joint dysfunction and severe dental issues. So try to make sure you chew responsibly and make the wisest decision when buying gum (keep away from the sweet stuff or secretly stash them somewhere in your pockets for emergency sugar rush use).
The gum base is not digestible.
Yes, unfortunately, your stomach will not be able to digest your accidentally-swallowed chewing gum glob. Why is it indigestible? The point of creating a gum base in the first place was initially to create a rubbery substance to be able to chew on, not swallow. Remember when your parents told you not to eat chewing gum? Well, this is why! Don't be alarmed if you ever swallow chewing gum by accident. Our digestive system can still pass on the rubbery glob in our stomachs and exit it as a stool, but it makes your stomach work so much harder, and the whole process could take a few days and cause constipation. The Scientific American states it won't stay for more than a week. What a relief! But remember, it could become an emergency when there are other non-digestible substances in your stomach like tiny pebbles, cherry pits, whole popcorn seeds, tiny toys, or coins you had accidentally swallowed (um, if you did). They could form a single sticky blob in your digestive system. Try not to imagine it moving through your intestines. So don't make any exciting self-experiments yourself regarding this gum base substance. Chew and spit out when gum loses its flavor. In the right bin, please.
A gum base is not nutritious.
Of course, we understand that the whole idea of chewing gum is not meant as a health-benefiting type of sugar confection. Still, some manufacturers have started incorporating vitamins and proteins into the gum base. Wouldn't it be great if it came with vitamins, protein substances, or even multivitamins? Although chewing gum packaging says the product may contain sources of multivitamins, keep in mind that these are only meant for marketing purposes. You must keep eating those natural fruits and veggies! Easier access to healthier chewable, right?
Gum base secret ingredients.
This means that the actual gum base contains chemicals that are part of intellectual property, including processes, practices, formulas, and information. Manufacturers have the right to restrict others from disclosing it for marketing purposes. The FDA has approved the chemicals in gum base for manufacturing production practices that are completely safe and edible. To protect from oxidation, gum base uses a preservative called BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene); it preserves color, odor, and flavor. They function by protecting free radicals that may spoil food. It is widely used in packaged salted peanuts, crisps, dehydrated foods, and many other products. Ah, that's the real secret. So it's safe to say that everything that gum base contains is officially considered safe. Yay!
These gum base facts may sound scary, but you shall "safely" chew on them if you stick to your good habits.
Author: Wuxi Gum Base
Publication Date: 1/10/2022
