Chewing gum: Difference between revisions
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==Effects on health== |
==Effects on health== |
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===Dental health=== |
===Dental health===fuck it |
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Sugar-free gum sweetened with [[xylitol]] has been shown to reduce cavities and [[Dental of the [[stomach]], it will likely pass out of the body easily.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} |
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Sugar-free gum sweetened with [[xylitol]] has been shown to reduce cavities and [[Dental plaque|plaque]].<ref name="polyol">{{cite journal | author=Deshpande A, Jadad AR | title=The impact of polyol-containing chewing gums on dental caries: a systematic review of an original randomized controlled trials and observational studies | journal=JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION | volume=139 | issue=12 | year=2008 | pages=1602–1614 | url = http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/139/12/1602 | id= | pmid=19047666}}</ref> The sweetener [[sorbitol]] has the same benefit, but is only about one-third as effective as xylitol.<ref name="polyol" /> Xylitol is specific in its inhibition of [[Streptococcus mutans|mutans streptococci]], [[bacteria]] that are significant contributors to tooth decay.<ref name="Milgrom">{{cite journal | author=Milgrom P, Ly KA, Roberts MC, Rothen M, Mueller G, Yamaguchi DK | title=Mutans streptococci dose response to xylitol chewing gum | journal=JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH | volume=85 | issue=2 | year=2006 | pages=177–181 | doi = 10.1177/154405910608500212 | id= | pmid=16434738 | pmc=2225984}}</ref> Xylitol inhibits [[Streptococcus mutans|mutans streptococci]] in the presence of other sugars, with the exception of [[fructose]].<ref>{{cite journal | author=Kakuta H, Iwami Y, Mayanagi H, Takahashi N | title=Xylitol inhibition of acid production and growth of mutans Streptococci in the presence of various dietary sugars under strictly anaerobic conditions | journal=CARIES RESEARCH | volume=37 | issue=6 | year=2003 | pages=404–409 | id={{DOI|10.1159/000073391}} | pmid=14571117 | doi=10.1159/000073391}}</ref> Daily doses of xylitol below 3.44 grams are ineffective and doses above 10.32 grams show no additional benefit.<ref name="Milgrom" /> |
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Food and sucrose have a demineralizing effect upon [[Tooth enamel|enamel]] that has been reduced by adding [[calcium lactate]] to food.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Kashket S, Yaskell T | title=Effectiveness of calcium lactate added to food in reducing intraoral demineralization of enamel | journal=CARIES RESEARCH | volume=31 | issue=6 | year=1997 | pages=429–433 | id= | pmid=9353582}}</ref> Calcium lactate added to toothpaste has reduced [[Calculus (dental)|calculus]] formation.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Schaeken MJ, van der Hoeven JS | title=Control of calculus formation by a dentifrice containing calcium lactate | journal=CARIES RESEARCH | volume=27 | issue=4 | year=1993 | pages=277–279 | id= | pmid=8402801}}</ref> One study has shown that calcium lactate enhances enamel [[Remineralisation of teeth|remineralization]] when added to xylitol-containing gum,<ref>{{cite journal | author=Suda R, Suzuki T, Takiguchi R, Egawa K, Sano T, Hasegawa K | title=The effect of adding calcium lactate to xylitol chewing gum on remineralization of enamel lesions | journal=CARIES RESEARCH | volume=40 | issue=1 | year=2006 | pages=43–46 | id= | pmid=16352880 | doi=10.1159/000088905}}</ref> but another study showed no additional remineralization benefit from calcium lactate or other calcium compounds in chewing-gum.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Schirrmeister JF, Seger RK, Altenburger MJ, Lussi A, Hellwig E | title=Effects of various forms of calcium added to chewing gum on initial enamel carious lesions in situ | journal=CARIES RESEARCH | volume=41 | issue=2 | year=2007 | pages=108–114 | id= | pmid=17284911}}</ref> |
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Other studies<ref>[http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118988997/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 Caries preventive effect of sugar-substituted chewing gum]- 3-year community intervention trial to determine the caries preventive effect of sugar-substituted chewing gum among Lithuanian school children, and to assess compliance with the instructions for gum use.</ref> indicated that the caries preventive effect of chewing sugar-free gum is related to the chewing process itself rather than being an effect of gum sweeteners or additives, such as polyols and carbamide. |
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Over 80% of cavities occur inside pits and fissures in chewing surfaces where food is trapped under chewing pressure and carbohydrate like sugar is changed to acid by resident plaque bacteria but brushing cannot reach.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} |
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===Possible carcinogens=== |
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Concern has arisen about the possible [[carcinogenicity]] of the [[vinyl acetate]] (acetic acid ethenyl ester) used by some manufacturers in their [[gum base]]s. Currently the ingredient can be hidden in the catch-all term "gum base". The Canadian government at one point classified the ingredient as a "potentially high hazard substance."<ref>http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=06e4fd58-ebb9-4bd3-b239-d0f87b743155</ref> However, on January 31, 2009, the Government of Canada's final assessment concluded that exposure to vinyl acetate is not considered to be harmful to human health.<ref>http://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/59EC93F6-2C5D-42B4-BB09-EB198C44788D/batch2_108-05-4_pc_en.pdf</ref> This decision under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) was based on new information received during the public comment period, as well as more recent information from the risk assessment conducted by the European Union. |
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===Swallowed gum=== |
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One [[old wives' tale]] says that swallowed gum will remain in a human's stomach for up to seven years, as it is not [[Digestion#Human_digestion_process|digestible]]. According to several medical opinions, there seems to be little truth behind the tale. In most cases, swallowed gum will pass through the system as fast as any other food.<ref name="sciam.com">http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-chewing-gum-takes-seven-years-to-digest</ref> There have been a few cases where swallowing gum has required medical attention, but these cases are more or less related to chronic gum swallowers. One young boy swallowed several pieces each day and had to be hospitalized,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/health/28real.html?_r=2&em&ex=1188792000&en=fe53a408bba7e455&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin | work=The New York Times | title=The Claim: Swallowed Gum Takes a Long Time to Digest | first=Anahad | last=O'Connor | date=August 28, 2007 | accessdate=April 1, 2010}}</ref> and another young girl required medical attention when she swallowed her gum and four coins, which got stuck together in her esophagus.<ref name="sciam.com"/> As long as the mass of gum is small enough to pass out of the [[stomach]], it will likely pass out of the body easily.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} |
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==Bans on chewing gum== |
==Bans on chewing gum== |
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Revision as of 17:59, 14 June 2011
Chewing gum is a type of confection traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For reasons of economy and quality, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle. Chicle is nonetheless still the base of choice for some regional markets, such as in Japan.
History
Chewing gum in various forms has existed since at least the Neolithic period. 5,000-year-old chewing gum with tooth imprints, made of birch bark tar, has been found in Kierikki, Yli-Ii, Finland. The bark tar of which the gums were made is believed to have antiseptic properties and other medicinal advantages.[1] The ancient Aztecs used chicle as a base for making a gum-like substance. Women in particular used this gum as a mouth freshener.
Forms of chewing gums were also used in Ancient Greece. The Greeks chewed mastic gum, made from the resin of the mastic tree.[2] Many other cultures have chewed gum-like substances made from plants, grasses, and resins.
The American Indians chewed resin made from the sap of spruce trees.[3] The New England settlers picked up this practice, and in 1848, John B. Curtis developed and sold the first commercial chewing gum called The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum. Around 1850 a gum made from paraffin wax was developed and soon exceeded the spruce gum in popularity. William Semple filed an early patent on chewing gum, patent number 98,304, on December 28, 1869.[4]
Modern chewing gum was first developed in the 1860s when chicle was exported from Mexico for use as a rubber substitute. Chicle did not succeed as a replacement for rubber, but as a gum it was soon adopted and due to newly established companies such as Adams New York Chewing Gum (1871), Black Jack (1884) and “Chiclets” (1899), it soon dominated the market.[5] Chicle gum, and gum made from similar latexes, had a smoother and softer texture and held flavor better. Most chewing gum companies have since switched to synthetic gum bases because of their low price and availability. According to their website, Glee Gum claims to be the last gum manufacturer in the United States using all-natural chicle.[6] Peppersmith Chewing Gum, launched in the UK in 2010, is also a natural gum using chicle for its base.[7]
Use in military
The United States military has regularly supplied soldiers with chewing gum since World War I because it helped both to improve the soldiers' concentration and to relieve stress.[8] As of 2005[update], the U.S. military is sponsoring development of a chewing gum formulation with an antibacterial agent that could replace conventional oral hygiene methods in the battlefield.
Effects on health
===Dental health===fuck it Sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol has been shown to reduce cavities and [[Dental of the stomach, it will likely pass out of the body easily.[citation needed]
Bans on chewing gum
Many schools do not allow chewing gum because students often dispose of it inappropriately.[9]
Singapore also had a ban on chewing gum because it was not disposed of properly.[10]
Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and Busch Gardens Theme Parks have banned the selling of gum to help keep the grounds cleaner.
Brands of Chewing gum
Effects on the Environment
Chewing gum is usually disposed responsibly, but is commonly seen hiding underneath benches and tables; once the chewing gum dries, it is difficult to remove. On sidewalks and pavements, it sticks to the ground firmly. Also, Chewing Gum does not break down over time, making it a potential hazard to the environment.
References
- ^ "Student dig unearths ancient gum" BBC.co.uk.
- ^ "History of the Chewing Gum" page of Gumballs.com.
- ^ "History Of Chewing Gum" page of BeemansGum.org.
- ^ patent number 98,304
- ^ Chewing gum companies in 1860-1900
- ^ Glee Gum website
- ^ Peppersmith Gum website
- ^ http://www.zoftstressgum.com/benefits.html
- ^ "B-schools ban chewing gum on campus". indiatimes.com. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
- ^ Cris Prystay "At long last, gum is legal in Singapore, but there are strings", The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2004.