10 Weird Facts About Chewing Gum
Everyone prefers their own flavor and brand and yet most can agree on the one thing that it provides: tasty pleasure. In case you haven’t caught on yet, the thing to blame is gum.
Since you’re about to get flooded with facts, it’d probably be the best stray away from them in this introduction. Remember that there are many more facts about gum that simply can’t be covered here.
In this article, you’ll be finding out 10 weird facts about chewing gum (and why you might want to start more of it).
Chewing Gum
While you’ve probably chewed gum before, you probably don’t know much beyond the fact that it tastes good. If anything, you might know the odd factor perhaps the myth that if you swallow gum, it stays in your stomach for 7 years (which isn’t true, by the way). Below are 10 weird facts about gum.
1. The Feels
Gum is said to keep you from crying. And no, not just from onion tears. In fact, chewing gum can keep you from crying since it reduces stress and improves concentration.
2. To Chew Or Not To Chew
Believe it or not, there is a difference between chewing gum and bubble gum. Chewing gum comes from a natural gum called chicle, which comes from the sap of a tree called the Sopapilla. Bubble gum, as the name implies, is made to stretch into bubbles, and is a mixture of starches and polymers that are made in laboratories.
3. Mexico
Chicle, or chewing gum, was first chewed in Mexico before being imported to the U.S. by a man named Thomas Adams in 1866. Once chicle made its way into U.S., sugar and other sweeteners were be added.
4. Gum Parties
Chewing gum parties came onto the scene in 1904. To get in, guests had to bring their own pack of chewing gum. Not only that but once the gum was soft enough, guests would take the gum out of their mouths and mold it into whatever they fancied.
5. Gum Lockets
Again, as the name implies, gum lockets were lockets that were lined with porcelain glass (to keep the gum from sticking) where you could store your chewed gum for later.
6. Police Ban
In the name of patriotism, the police in England were forbidden to chew gum because the English upper classes saw gum as an American invasion of their beloved England.
7. Litter
Chewing gum is the second most common form of litter after cigarettes.
8. Eternal (Shelf) Life
Chewing gum is not required by law to have an expiration date in many countries.
9. Commonality
Chewing gum is made up of seven common ingredients which include gum base (gum manufacturers have their own secret formulas), sweeteners, glycerine, softeners, flavors, colors, and polyol coatings.
10. Record Bubble
The largest bubble ever blown was 20 inches in diameter, according to Guinness World Records.
While many other bubble gum oddities exist, hopefully, these 10 facts have piqued your interest. Leisure is not the only purpose that gums serve, however. Dentists recommend gum as it stimulates saliva production, which helps to strengthen teeth, regulate your mouth’s pH levels, and clear away bits of food.
Conclusion
There you have it! You now know 10 weird facts about chewing gum.
If you’re interested in other odd facts or guides, make sure to check our website out. Or if you’d like to learn more about what we do and who we are, make sure to head over to our About Us page.
