If you are addicted to chewing gum or just chomp on it a lot, try this healthier alternative that won’t use up valuable digestive enzymes and wreck your teeth long term.
When I was a kid, I loved to chew bubble gum. I remember becoming quite proficient at blowing very large bubbles at summer camp one year. From then on, chewing bubble gum became a favorite childhood pastime of mine.
While chewing gum once in a while is certainly not a cause for concern, chewing gum every single day as a habit definitely can be detrimental to health. As I covered in detail in a previous post about chewing gum, habitual gum chewing wastes valuable digestive enzymes and can contribute over time to TMJ and other jaw problems among other issues.
Fortunately, there is a very healthy chewing gum alternative to brands laced with aspartame or GMO sugar.
Even xylitol gum should be avoided on a regular basis as xylitol is produced by the heavily industrial process called sugar hydrogenation, the long term health effects of which are unknown. Xylitol also contributes to gut imbalance/candida problems, exacerbates acid reflux, and can trigger seizures in susceptible individuals.
In addition, oral surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas contend that too much gum chewing causes jaw stress. Dr. Sinn, a UT Southwestern oral surgeon, warns that jaw soreness, jaw “clicking” or pain in the jaw, head, or neck can be signs of TMJ syndrome and that gum chewing should be discontinued should such symptoms emerge.
Given that gum chewing is commonly used to relieve stress, Dr. Sinn suggests other methods for reducing tension such as squeezing a ball, relaxation techniques or regular exercise to avoid the risk of chronic jaw problems.
Probably the most important reason to abstain from chewing commercially made gum is that it releases mercury from dental amalgam fillings. A Swedish study found that people with silver fillings who chew gum for 5 hours or more each day had significantly higher levels of mercury in their blood and urine than those people with silver fillings who chewed gum infrequently.
Mercury levels in the blood, urine, and breath at exhalation increased in proportion to the number of silver fillings each study participant had.
So what to chew?
In this video, I show you a healthy chewing gum alternative that we use in our home when we just want something sweet and tasty to chomp on – honeycomb!
Have you tried chewing honeycomb before? If not, check out the honeycomb we like to chew as I describe the benefits you get from enjoying this age old practice. Chewing a piece of honeycomb is not only healthy, but it is good for you too because the chewing doesn’t last too long, it adds enzymes to the digestion rather than removing them and is safe for those with amalgams.
What is the shelf life and how do you store it?
I have a question about Xylitol maybe you can answer. I have read about the benefits of xylitol for dental health but have also read about the health risks involved with internally ingesting it. The question is:
I have been using it to make homemade toothpaste and have an 8 yr old son. I am wondering if I should find a different recipe for my toothpaste? Any suggestions? I have tried putting baking soda in the toothpaste but he refuses to use it. I use coconut oil, xylitol, a small amount of Diatomaceous earth and some essential oil for “flavoring”. He refuses the store bought brands with other sweeteners and I feel like I have tried them all (from orange, mint, clove, fennel) without success . I feel defeated because the more I try to make things healthy for my family the more info I learn about the ingredients and then feel hopeless in finding something that is REALLY healthy,and beneficial, as well as practical, at the same time.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks
For those of you looking for a fresher-tasting version, chew fresh whole mint leaves! you do have to spit them out after a while and (check your teeth in the mirror for any green left behind,) but it is really a great alternative. I did it all the time as a kid!
Sarah, you’re a genius!
My daughter is 4.5 years old and is just getting interested in gum. We are well into healing her cavities (caused by early allergies + organic, gluten-free SAD diet) and have always steered a wide path around conventional sweets. I told her today that we’d look into making gum for her to try, but I wasn’t looking forward to that experiment. Enter honeycomb! I can’t wait to hit the farmers’ market tomorrow.
Thanks mama. <3
We. especially the young ones, have always ate and chewed the honeycomb and resin we call luban in Arabic (its very similar to frankincense but sweeter and less bitter than frankincense). We have done so because we are originally from Yemen, but now I can appreciate the benefits that go with it, thanks for the post!
Thanks for this info. Any suggestions for a healthy “peppermint” gum alternative. I am a dance teacher and occassionally when I feel a little naseous while teaching will chew peppermint gum to help ease my stomach…Peelu…which has xylotal…..any ideas on a better alternative for such a situation? Thanks
I exclusively chew gum when flying to help my ears from popping and getting terribly stopped up- is the texture of honeycomb similar enough to gum to use it for this purpose? (I hope the answer is yes, so I be that weirdo with honeycomb at the airport)
I now wonder if it is the xylitol that makes me nauseated whenever I chew gum. It has the same effect on my son.
Destiney Marsh Fischer You can reverse the dental problems with diet and skip the gum that will cause other problems. Xylitol is unfortunately only a band-aid approach for fixing the root cause of the dental issues.
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