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Chew on this.
We’ve all heard the myth that swallowed gum stays in your body for seven years. While that’s not true, it’s still generally not great to swallow it, since our digestive system can’t break it down.
But there is an exception: mastic gum can be digested — and in fact, you’re supposed to swallow it to reap all its benefits.
What is mastic gum — and how is it different from regular gum?
These days, most popular chewing gum is a mix of resins, plasticizers, flavors, sugars, and synthetic rubbers and plastics, Mastic gum, meanwhile, is just the resin that comes from a mastic tree.
When you swallow regular chewing gum, it can take a few days to pass through your digestive system — and it comes out in the same form it went in.
Mastic gum, on the other hand, can be partially broken down in your body, and that process can help your gut.
Unlike your spearmint or cinnamon sticks, mastic gum has a naturally woody taste that’s been compared to pine needles and cedar wood. It’s also usually crunchy when you first bite into it, with softness in the center — though it’s still harder and chewier than regular gum.
How does mastic gum promote gut health?
“Mastic gum has been used for centuries as a medicinal resin, long before ‘gut health’ was a buzzword,” Mystic Gum co-founder Braxton Manley told The Post.
Research in more recent decades backs it up. One 2010 study found that people who chewed 350mg of mastic gum three times a day wiped out H. pylori, bacteria that’s associated with gastritis, ulcers and chronic digestive issues. Another from 1998 indicated even lower doses could work.
Better gut health can mean less bloating, better digestion and fewer stomach flare-ups — plus perks for other areas of your body, since our gut microbiomes impact our overall health.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that gut health starts in the mouth,” Manley said. “If your oral microbiome is out of whack, that cascades downward. Mastic gum supports that system from the top down.”
And according to Manley, chewing mastic gum is easier than many other gut-boosting methods.
“It’s not a cleanse or a protocol, it’s a daily habit,” he said. “You chew it, your digestive signaling improves, and the resin itself does what it’s been doing for thousands of years. It’s low-effort, but it compounds.”
Is it definitely OK to swallow mastic gum?
While mastic gum won’t be completely broken down by your digestive system, your stomach acids will go to work on it more than they would the synthetic stuff.
“It’s literally been swallowed as a powdered supplement for generations,” Manley said. “Your body processes it like any other natural resin or fiber. Once people understand that distinction, plastic gum versus plant resin, the fear usually disappears.”
Does it have any other benefits?
Mystic Gum markets itself as a “beauty gum” because, the brand says, it does more than just improve your gut.
First, it’s good for your teeth and oral health. Studies show it helps cut down on the bacteria responsible for cavities, reduces plaque, and improves enamel.
“As a single ingredient, it contains naturally occurring compounds, including terpenes and triterpenic acids, that give it antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties,” Manley said. “Those compounds are why mastic has historically been used for oral hygiene and digestive support, rather than just flavor delivery. “
Mystic say chewing its gum can also tone your face and jaw. The science on that is a little iffier: Though some research has indicated that chewing gum can strengthen your jaw, there’s less evidence it make a difference you can actually see.
Manley notes that mastic gets an extra point because it’s not made with artificial sweetness, dyes or plastics.
“Because mastic is plastic-free and sugar-free, it avoids common additives found in conventional gum, including synthetic polymers, artificial sweeteners, dyes, and softeners,” he said.
“That means no microplastic exposure from the gum base, no artificial flavor systems breaking down in the mouth, and no sweeteners interacting with insulin or gut bacteria.”
Microplastics are a growing cause for concern, with emerging research showing they could be contributing to problems with brain health, heart health, diabetes and fertility.
