Peppermint chewing gum is made from chicle or synthetic rubber and flavored with peppermint leaf oil. Peppermint is a hybrid of filigree and spearmint, and its high menthol content makes it popular in various products. Chewing gum was invented by Thomas Adams, and comes in different types with various production methods. While chewing gum can have oral hygiene benefits, some gum bases contain carcinogens and high sugar content is discouraged by dentists.
Peppermint chewing gum is the peppermint-flavored chewing substance typically made of chicle or synthetic rubber. Chewing gum is typically made from rubber, a material that is insoluble in water, and water-soluble sweeteners and flavors. The flavor of mint chewing gum tends to come from peppermint leaf oil, and is usually chosen as a gum flavor to promote fresh breath.
Peppermint is a type of mint plant that originated in Europe, but is found today in most regions of the world. Though originally thought to be its own species, peppermint is actually a sterile hybrid of filigree and spearmint. Because of its high concentration of menthol, as well as its menthone and menthyl ester content, make it a popular choice for soaps, confections, chewing gum and shampoo. The oil produces a minty taste and cooling sensation which makes mint chewing gum an effective breath freshener.
Chicle is a natural gum with a high sugar content from the Central American evergreen tree, Manilkara chicle. The trees are exploited by cutting down the tree and collecting the rubber in bags, similar to latex tapping methods, a process that has endangered the Manilkara chicle tree. For this reason and because it is cheaper, most chewing gum companies have switched to synthetic rubber bases.
Chewing gum was invented by Thomas Adams, who opened the first bubble gum factory in 1870. The chewing gum act, however, has a history that goes back much further. The ancient Greeks chewed mastic gum from the resin of a mastic tree to freshen their breath and clean their teeth. In North America, spruce resin was owned by American Indians and European immigrants, until it was replaced by paraffin wax in the 1850s. In the 1880s, William White invented the first flavored gum by adding corn syrup and sugar to chicle. The first flavored gum White made was mint chewing gum.
Peppermint chewing gum can come in different shapes and sizes with different production methods. Common types are chewing gum, chewing gum, sugarless gum, medicinal gum, tooth whitening gum, and dragée gum, or “pellet gum,” a hard coated rectangular gum typically packaged in blister packs. Usually, rubber is made by melting the rubber base and refining it in a centrifuge. Manufacturers then add powdered sugar, corn or glucose syrup, softeners, and any natural or artificial flavors, food colors, and specialty preservatives to that gum. Medicinal gum will also have medicine added, and sugar-free gum will use artificial sweeteners instead of powdered sugar. The coated gums are then covered in liquid sugar and glazed, usually with wax.
Chewing gum has had a mixed history with oral hygiene. Reheated chewing gum has been shown to fight the early signs of dental decay, and infused antibacterial gum has been used in the US military to promote oral hygiene. It can also be used as a stress reliever. However, health concerns have been raised about some gum bases that contain vinyl acetate, a possible carcinogen. Dentists often discourage the use of chewing gum with a high sugar content.
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