Go Figure - Bursting the Bubble on Chewing Gum
Where Gum Comes FromDo you ever wonder what it is about chewing gum that gives you hours of chewing enjoyment? Why is it that the flavor disappears long before you get bored from blowing bubbles and chewing? Keep reading to find out what gum is made out of and why we can chew it for so long.
A Bit of History
Before WWII chewing gum was made from chicle and flavors. Chicle is sap that comes from the sapodilla tree. Basically, chicle is a form of rubber. Think of rubber bands. When you chew on rubber bands (gross!) they don't dissolve and neither does chicle. Chicle is a bit softer and hardens and softens according to temperature.
Chicle practically became non-existent after the war, so scientists were forced to come up with a new resin (tree sap or rubber.) Since then, gum bases have been made from various natural and unnatural resins. All of them become softer when heated and harder when cold, just like chicle. While a lot of natural resources are hard to come by for gum, the Wrigley Company still uses softener in the base which comes from pine trees found in some parts of the United States.
Chew on This
Enough of the history lesson. The main ingredients in gum are sugar, gum base, corn syrup, softeners, flavoring and coloring. Gum base is mostly plastic and rubber but it also might have latex which is a natural ingredient. Natural latex, such as chicle, is the sap from trees in the rain forest. Gum manufacturers like to keep their exact recipes secret.
So what you should have learned is that the reason gum doesn't dissolve in your mouth is because you are chewing on a wad of rubber and/or latex with a bit of flavoring. This also means that when you swallow gum it won't be digested so it comes out in one piece. It will, however, stay inside you for a few days.
Well that is GROSS! 
Luckily I do not chew regular gum! I found the above article on: http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1057-go-figure-bursting-the-bubble-on-chewing-gum
Do you chew gum and have you found a healthy gum?
I do occassionally chew Xykichew that is available at Health food stores; here is what is in it:
* Xylichew Gum contains original latex from the sapodilla tree as its gum base. It contains no petroleum products.
Does not contain Sugar.
Ingredients: Sweeteners (xylitol 70 weight %), Gum Base (i.aoriginal latex from sapodilla tree) Natural Flavor, Gum Arabic, Lecithin, Glycerin, Beeswax, Carnaubawax. 100% Xylitol.
ha ... glad I don't chew gum!
'Glee Gum is all natural chewing gum made with sustainably harvested rainforest chicle. It comes in three great flavors: cinnamon, peppermint and tangerine. Glee Gum is the #1 healthy alternative to synthetic chewing gum and bubble gum! Freshen your breath with Glee, Naturally!
[A]lmost all gum is now made completely from synthetic materials. Only Glee chewing gum, and some sold in the Far East contain chicle.
In Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize, chicle still represents an important part of the economy for the chicleros who harvest it. From September to January, a time of torrential rains, the chicleros hike out to remote parts of the rainforest, seeking either virgin chicle trees or those that were tapped several years before. They climb into the tree and make a series of cuts with their machete, taking care that they cut only deep enough to allow the white sap to bleed out, but not deep enough to expose the tree to insects or infection. Each tapping only yields about 2.5 pounds of gum over a six-hour period, and a chiclero will tap 6-12 trees a day in order to make his quota.
The movement for rainforest sustainability depends, in part, on non-timber forest products, advocating for renewable resources that can be made economically viable. Verve hopes that the forest can be more profitable standing than cut down.
Now there's something to chew on, along with your next piece of chicle-based gum!'
Link
Thank you for that info on 'Glee Gum'; sounds like a very natural gum and they even make it sound like a good idea to consume it as they are making the rain forest sustainable.
Does not look like it is available in Canada tho.
Here is some surprising info that some one told me about last year so I did a search and here is what I found.....another good reason to chew gum. 
Chew Your Way to Better Study Habits
Uncover The Surprising Benefits of Chewing Gum(NC)—With year-end exams almost upon us, students across the country are starting to feel the pressure mount. To help them deal with this stressful time, the gum experts at Wrigley have pulled together a few simple tips to help ease the tension and improve study habits. Some may find it surprising that topping the list is the act of chewing gum.
You're probably wondering how chewing gum can help you with your studies. It just seems too easy! Well, there is compelling evidence to suggest that the simple act of chewing gum can help relieve stress and tension and increase focus and concentration.
Research has found that chewing gum stimulates certain areas of the brain (as measured by EEG), which may have a relationship to reducing tension. In addition, one study conducted in 2002 showed that chewing gum appeared to improve people's ability to retain and retrieve information.
So we say: chew away while you're studying for exams this year.
Above From: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/nc_studyhabits.html
Maybe walking and chewing gum at the same time shouldn't be so tough after all. A joint study carried out by the University of Northumbria and the Cognitive Research Unit in England has found that the act of chewing gum improves short- and long-term memory by as much as 35 percent.
"The results were extremely clear; specifically we found that chewing gum targeted memory," says Andrew Scholey, a scientist with the university's human cognitive-neuroscience unit who carried out the study. "People recalled more words and performed better in tests on working memory."
Why does chewing gum stimulate one's memory? Scientists don't know for sure, but they are working on two theories. One is that the gentle exercise of chewing raises a person's heart rate, which increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. Another is that chewing triggers the release of insulin, a natural chemical that stimulates a section of the brain involved in memory.
For the full article go to: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_13_18/ai_84804845
I do occassionally chew Xylichew which is a natural gum (see info about it above). I find that if I am needing to stay focussed like when I am driving at night a long distance, it does help.
What an alarming find! Made me think what would be a good alternative and found out that some like honeycomb...never heard of that, but if interested in reading about it here is a little article/video: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-honeycomb-as-a-healthy-alternative-to-chewing-gum/
