Natural Chewing Gum Offers Healthier Alternative
Chewing gum: it’s something that you might do every day, or just once in a while. But did you know that gum can contain hundreds of potentially dangerous chemicals and synthetic ingredients? Aspartame, acesulfame k, butylated hydroxytoluene, the list of unpronounceable ingredients goes on and on.
Chewing gum has its benefits, from helping smokers quit the habit to freshening breath and even making you concentrate better when working on a project or test. Luckily you don’t have to give it up to avoid ingesting a load of nonsense. There are several all-natural alternatives on the market that you can find at stores like Natural Grocers and Whole Foods.
- The name says it all: Simply Gum is synthetic-free and derived from the gum of the sapodilla tree. Lightly sweeted with pure dried organic cane juice, Simply Gum is one healthy alternative to most chemically-altered artificial gums. The minimalist taste is great and will leave your mouth feeling simply fabulous.
Peppersmith
Also harvested from the sapodilla tree in Central America, Peppersmith gum products are made with real mint extract, xylitol derived from beech trees and naturally tapped chicle. The gum is made in the UK and is actually accredited by the British and International Dental Health Foundation for being good for your teeth. Peppersmith boasts several traditional, familiar flavors we all love: Fine-English Spearmint, Fine-English Peppermint and Lemon Peppermint. But stay tuned: they are about to introduce a very unique option: Fish and Chips. We’ll have to wait and see how it tastes, but for now you can find Peppersmith’s current gum flavors online.
Pur Gum
“Kick Aspartame” is the slogan for this aspartame-free gum, which is alternatively sweetened with xylitol. Pur Gum is also vegan, gluten-free, GMO corn syrup-free, and diabetic friendly. Select from options like Wintergreen, Spearmint, Peppermint and Pomegranate Mint for flavors that excite your taste buds without the need for any yucky, artificial ingredients. Pur Gum is available in over 7,500 stores worldwide.
Glee Gum
Glee Gum is another favorite, derived sustainably from natural sap of the sapodilla tree, called chicle. This gum gets its delicious flavor from Fair Trade cane sugar, brown rice syrup, and for its sugarless options, xylitol from birch and beech bark. It does contain some synthetic ingredients, but the company is actively working on a new and improved gum base that they hope to debut later this year. Enjoy flavors like Peppermint, Spearmint, Bubblegum, Cinnamon, Tangerine, Triple Berry, Sugar-free Refresh-mint, Sugar-free Lemon-lime, and the new Wild Watermelon.
- Spry
Keep your teeth healthy and clean with the Spry Dental Defense System, a group of products naturally sweetened with breath-freshening xylitol. Spry gum encourages a healthier rate of “tooth remineralization,” which basically helps prevent cavities and tooth decay. Spry’s gum is also made without sucrose, making it an ideal choice for gum-lovers who live with diabetes or other blood sugar-related health concerns. Hit refresh on stinky breath-causing bacteria with tasty flavors like Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamon, Fresh Fruit and Green Tea, all available at www.xclear.com.
