Are You Chewing Gum… or Plastic? Part 1

Most people don’t realize this, but a lot of modern chewing gum is basically soft plastic.

What’s the “plastic” in gum?

On the label it’s usually hidden under the vague term “gum base.”

That gum base often includes plastic-type polymers like-

Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) - the big one (also used in white glue)
Polyethylene - same family as plastic bags
Polyisobutylene & styrene-butadiene rubber - synthetic rubbers used in things like tires

When you chew, tiny fragments can break off as microplastics, which you then swallow.

How Much Plastic Are We Talking About?

Exact recipes are secret, but roughly-

So you’re often chewing a product where 5–20% of the whole piece is synthetic plastic/rubber, not food.

FitnHealthy Forever Recommendation

If you’re going to chew gum -

Read the label. “gum base” with no explanation usually is synthetic.
Favor brands that clearly state “no polyvinyl acetate or plastic-free or chicle-based.”
If in doubt, go with a clearly labeled plastic-free gum, or skip gum and use mints/herbal teas instead.

See Part 2 for some Gum options

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