History of chewing gum. Interesting about chewing gum (32 photos). Helps to beat drowsiness

You can treat it differently - love it or hate it, but chewing gum has been at the peak of popularity for more than a decade, and is not going to leave it. When gum first appeared in the US, many hoped that this "vulgar fashion" would soon end. But its popularity continues to grow today.

1. The birthplace of gum

Chewing gum originated in Mexico. It appeared in the United States thanks to the inventor Thomas Adams in 1866, but at that time it did not look like modern chewing gum at all. Rather, it was a brownish ball of Mexican "chicla" (the white latex secreted by chicla or sapodilla trees). As the latex leaked from the tree, it picked up bits of bark and dirt, turning brown. In 1890, natural latex began to be imported into the United States in large quantities and was made into confectionery (sweet) chewing gum.

2. Chikla

As soon as Thomas Adams got his hands on natural chewing gum (chicla), he immediately began experimenting with how it could be used. After several experiments, he decided that it was only suitable for chewing. After spending $35 to develop the process, Adams began to boil the chicla until it was as soft as bread dough. Then he rolled the gum into long strips and cut it into squares. After that, chewing gum was cooled and packaged (at that time no flavors were added to it, it was purely a product in order to “occupy the jaws with something”).

In order to develop the habit of chewing gum among Americans, Adams distributed it to candy stores and pharmacies so that the gum would be given free of charge "in the load" when buying sweets. So chewing gum became popular among children.

3. Gum parties

In 1904, a new fancy fashion appeared. Young people began to hold "chewing gum parties" in major cities. In order to get to such a party, each guest had to bring a pack of chewing gum. The guests began to chew it until it completely softened, then the gum was taken out of the mouth and molded from it, as if from plasticine.

4. For men only

Not only did chewing gum become popular among children, but the “bad habit” was also adopted by women. For some men, chewing gum was considered by some men to be something like the equivalent of chewing tobacco for men. In 1903, even entire societies began to organize against chewing gum. It was widely promoted that for "real women, chewing gum is below their dignity, especially in public places."

5. The wonders of promotions

In 1891, William Wrigley Jr. was selling household items (mainly soap and baker's flour). He began handing out free sticks of chewing gum to every person who bought a can of baker's flour. After seeing how popular chewing gum had become, he decided to refocus his business and began producing purely chewing gum. It was truly a genius decision for Wrigley. Moreover, in 1916 he granted employees in his factories a number of benefits and rights that were unheard of at the time. And in 1924, he gave his employees 2 days off. Unlike other employers of the time, his workers didn't have to work six days a week to keep a roof over their heads.

6. "Tutti-frutti"

Although Thomas Adams' natural chewing gum sold very well, he saw an opportunity to create an even larger gum market. In 1871, he began making a licorice flavored chewing gum called Black Jack. He then invented Tutti Frutti, a fruit-flavored gum, and his company began installing the first chewing gum vending machines in history. By the end of the 1800s, other manufacturers of chewing gum appeared.

7. Chewing gum medallions

Picture medallions were extremely popular during the Victorian era. People wore around their necks (closer to their hearts) photographs of their loved ones. In 1889, a gentleman came up with the idea of ​​a gum medallion that people could stick their unchewed gum on to keep it from getting dirty. The idea didn't become very popular until 1913, when all of a sudden these accessories became very fashionable. The locket was similar to a regular pop-up locket with a photo inside, except that glass was inserted into it to keep the chewing gum from sticking to it.

8. Queen of chewing gum

Even before chewing gum was heavily advertised in silent films, there was a girl who was called the "queen of chewing gum" - Faye Tincher. By 1916, she had become the face of bubble gum in the United States." She was a comedian and director who did a lot to popularize chewing gum.

9. Bubble gum from worries, insomnia, depression...

In 1916, chewing gum was called "the best remedy for any worries." Gum has gone from being an unsightly habit of the poor to a "psychological remedy" for everyone in the United States. One article even claimed that chewing gum not only "relieves a person of worries, but also helps with insomnia and depression." Doctors began to prescribe gum for patients who suffered from depression or nervous disorders.

10. American fashion

While the United States was slowly getting used to the idea that the chewing gum fashion was not going to go away, Americans began to "export" this hobby to other countries. As an Australian reporter stated in 1928, "I see no argument against the use of chewing gum, except that some people simply don't like it." At the same time, a scandal arose in England against the police ban on chewing gum. It turned out that some of the English aristocrats promoted this law, "revolting" against the Americanization of their country and wanting to distance themselves from the American fashion for chewing gum.

Only beer can compete in popularity with chewing gum. Especially for our readers.

Hello friends!

Today I will tell you the true story of chewing gum in the USSR.

It is often written on the Internet that the first chewing gum in the USSR was Estonian, others (even Wikipedia says so) that chewing gum was released for the first time in Armenia. Yes, these Soviet republics were directly involved in the creation of a new product.
Let's try to trace the order of events contributing to the appearance of chewing gum in the Soviet Union. At the time of this writing, I, just as before, am in search of information about chewing gum during the USSR period, and if you have information that will complement mine or if you see inaccuracies, write to me.

Perhaps the first chewing gum was seen by our soldiers when they entered Berlin. In 1945, having met with the allied forces of the USA and Great Britain, our soldiers could well try this new product for that time. Of course, even before the Great Patriotic War, people knew that they could chew resin, wax or lard. The very word “chewing gum” was also known, just look at the poster of the early 20th century.

But we are talking about a separate product that is produced industrially for use by the population. After the war, chewing gum quickly conquered the expanses of Europe, and production appeared in Spain, Italy, Holland and the GDR. Already by the beginning of the 60s, some countries friendly to the Soviet Union were making their own attempts to make their own chewing gum. By that time, there was already an arms race, space exploration, tough agitation against the imperialists and other US allies. Chewing gum falls under the ban, since by that time it was already a direct attribute of an American. It's no joke - by that time they already had chewing gum for more than 100 years!

In Estonia, in the city of Tallinn, there is (to this day) the Kalev confectionery factory.
This enterprise regularly delivers various confectionery, chocolate, marmalade, caramel and other sweets to all the republics of the Union. At the beginning of 1967, the Kalev management decided to master the production of a new product, similar to the well-known in the USA and Europe “chewing gum” (at that time the well-known phrase “chewing gum” did not exist). Presumably, on April 30, 1967, the first batch of Kalev chewing gum was released, the Estonians called the new product a difficult-to-translate name Tiri-aga-Tõmba.

The oldest employee of the Kalev factory, Otto Kubo, who is now the head of the Kalev Museum, says:

“One day in 1967 I was walking with my photographer friend Tõnu Talivee and I got out some gum. Unfolding, I found that it was impossible to split the gum in half, it was so hard. It was precisely because the chewing gum did not chew well, stretched, that it was discontinued. Oil was added to the fire by Academician Petrovsky, who was asked from above to give a “true” conclusion about the dangers of chewing gum.”

The management of Kalev made attempts to return the production of improved chewing gum with the help of astronauts. Kalev was then led by a very energetic director Edda Vladimirovna Maurer, a member of the Soviet Women's Committee. Through Valentina Tereshkova, she contacted the astronauts. As you know, astronauts in zero gravity have problems with sanitation of the oral cavity: toothpaste in zero gravity always leaks somewhere out of the mouth and flies away. In addition, the cosmonauts periodically visited the observatory in the city of Tyravere, and the factory management managed to invite the astronauts to visit through the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia. Cosmonaut Grechko expressed "special gratitude for the chewing gum" in the visitor's book. And he expressed the desire that Kalev put more of his products on board for the astronauts. After that, "Tiri-aga-tymba" was sent to the scientific laboratory of the space center. Doctor of Medical Sciences, General V. Kustov, in conclusion, noted that the gum "helps to equalize the barometric pressure in the cavity of the middle ear during ascents and descents of aircraft", "reduces the intensity of smoking by 26.4% and drowsiness" and generally has a positive effect "in the conditions of special facilities" .

Chewing gum was never allowed, although they say that they still made chewing gum for the needs of pilots and astronauts.

A new round in the life of chewing gum appeared after the tragic events of 1975

of the year. On March 10, 1975, the third match of the series of the USSR junior team against Canadian peers, united under the name Barrie Coop, took place on the ice arena. It is worth noting that the Canadian team was sponsored by Wrigley, a giant in the chewing gum industry. Throughout the games, the Canadian guests treated our Soviet guys to Wrigley records. Many who lived then in the USSR knew that chewing gum was considered something of an overvalued, scarce commodity! The rumor that visiting guests generously treat unknown chewing gum quickly became known. Many schoolchildren, boys and girls from 11 to 16 years old came to the Sokolniki Sports Palace for the match.

After the third match, someone from the Canadian team threw a handful of chewing gum onto the podium, and a bunch of children instantly formed, everyone wanted to get the coveted chewing gum. The Sokolniki administration saw that the guests took up photo and video cameras and ordered the lights to be turned off. In the dark, people fell on each other, stumbled, a crush formed. According to official figures, 21 people died, more than half of them were children. This incident did not appear in the media and was not written about, everyone who was an eyewitness to the incident was interrogated and forbidden to speak about the incident under the signature. I know that the foreign press covered these events, but I did not find the sources. If anyone has old newspapers on this subject, write to me.
Despite the fact that what happened was not written in the newspapers and was not shown on the news. These events became known to Soviet citizens, unrest arose, to which the authorities had to somehow react. It was then that one of the high-ranking leaders declared: "Our children will not sell themselves for foreign gum, we have our own chewing gum, and we will fully provide our children with it." (I have not yet found a documentary source, it is known that this issue about chewing gum was covered by newspapers and radio, if you have material or know where to look, write to me).
These terrible events prompted the USSR to study a new product and start research in the field of making the first Soviet chewing gum.

By that time, there was already a patent number 428736 on the simplest recipe for making chewing gum. The recipe was improved and in 1975-76 new patents 644450 and 685269 were filed. Already in 1977, a conveyor was launched in Yerevan at the Yerevan Sweets factory. The wrappers indicated the TU code (at that time TU 18-8-6-76 and TU 18-8-8-76). (If you have information about this factory, about the release of this chewing gum, documentation on TU codes, write to me).

A year later, by the beginning of 1978, in Estonia, the Kalev factory produced the first chewing gum intended for
export. (Watch the documentary video above)

The Olympic Games were on the nose, and the release of gum was an important step for the country's leadership. Chewing gum with the symbols of the Olympics began to be produced back in 1978 with TU 18-8-6-76. By 1983, almost all major cities mastered the production of chewing gum, chewing gum was produced at sugar factories, bakeries, pasta factories and other enterprises. Various chewing gums appeared, which were sold, including in pharmacies. Chewing gum "Gamibazin" was created to combat nicotine addiction. After the above specifications, OST 18-331-78 was introduced, which was valid from 12/01/78 to 12/01/83.

Since 1983, a new TU 10.04.08.32-89 was introduced, which lasted until 1995
and actually became the last in the USSR
Now at least 250 different wrappers from Soviet chewing gum are known!
This area is of interest to collectors, new wrappers are often found, and interest is only increasing.
This wonderful forum discusses this topic.

After the collapse of the USSR, numerous factories stopped their production of chewing gum, a stream of chewing gum poured into the country from Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, which finally supplanted the production of their own chewing gum. The last chewing gum of ChAO was produced by the Moscow factory "Rot-Front". Perhaps this chewing gum still caught the period of the USSR a little more, but the bulk of this chewing gum was already produced in the new Russia.

Video review about Soviet chewing gum in 2 parts:

Part 1 - Chewing gum of the USSR

You will learn the story about the appearance of chewing gum in the USSR

Part 2 - USSR chewing gum

You remember what chewing gum was, how they looked.

Below is a photo of Soviet chewing gum from a personal collection:

December 28, 1869, 140 years ago in the United States received the first patent for the manufacture of chewing gum.

Chewing gum is a special culinary product that consists of an inedible elastic base and various flavoring and aromatic additives. In the process of use, chewing gum practically does not decrease in volume, but all the fillers gradually dissolve, after which the base becomes tasteless and is usually thrown away.

The very first chewing gum dates back to the Stone Age, VII-II millennium BC. It was found during excavations in Northern Europe and was a piece of prehistoric resin with imprints of human teeth.

To cleanse the mouth and freshen the breath, the ancient Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic tree, which grew in abundance in Greece and Turkey. They called such a prototype of modern chewing gum by the name of the tree - “mastic”.

It is also known that the Maya Indians about a thousand years ago, to brush their teeth and freshen their breath, used the frozen sap of the sapodilla tree. They called this chewy mixture “chicle”. Much later, it was sapodilla that served as the basis for the industrial production of chewing gum.

On the South American continent, the Indians, contemporaries of the Maya, chewed the resin of coniferous trees. White settlers adopted this habit from them and created their own version of chewing gum - from the resin of coniferous trees and beeswax. And thanks to Columbus, such a habit, like smoking, was brought to Europe, but then it did not take root there. This happened much later.

In 1848, shopkeeper John Curtis (John B. Curtis) and his brother began to be the first in the world to produce chewing gum - they simply packed pieces of resin into pieces of paper. They called their product Pure Maine Pine Resin. Later, they began to add paraffin flavors to their products. New chewing gums with paraffin sometimes had rather unusual names: "White Mountain", "The Biggest and Best", "Four in Hand", "Sugar Cream". Gradually, their production expanded, but sales were still low due to the presence of impurities in gum that were difficult to remove from the resin.

In 1869, dentist William Finley Semple received the first patent for chewing gum. Semple proposed to make it from rubber with the addition of chalk, charcoal and a number of flavors. Semple claimed that such chewing gum would have a beneficial effect on the condition of the teeth. In addition, among the undoubted advantages of Semple's improved chewing gum, the inventor attributed its durability: the dentist assumed that a piece of gum could be used for weeks and months, since rubber is very durable.

However, William Semple, for unknown reasons, was never able to establish industrial production of chewing gum.

Modern chewing gum (based on rubber, not pine resin) received a new life in the same 1869, thanks to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana).

General Antonio López de Santa Anna, who briefly ruled Mexico, fled to New York. He took a ton of Mexican chicle with him, hoping to profitably sell it and earn money. According to legend, the general convinced the New York inventor Thomas Adams (Thomas Adams) to buy rubber from him. The inventor tried to vulcanize rubber, so he wanted to find a substitute for rubber, but the experiments came to nothing. Then Adams decided to cook gum out of it, remembering the habit of his Mexican acquaintance to chew "chicle". The researcher attached a test batch of the resulting chewing gum to local retail stores and was surprised to find that his products became popular. A little later, he added licorice flavor to the gum. This is how the first flavored chewing gum called Black Jack appeared, which was produced until the 70s of the XX century.

In 1871, Adams patented a machine for the mass production of chewing gum, and since 1888, the Tutti Frutti chewing gum created by him began to be sold from vending machines on railway station platforms.

In 1880, pharmacist John Colgan (John Colgan), having slightly changed the recipe, began to add flavor to chewing gum before putting sugar there. Such a simple manipulation contributed to the fact that the aroma and taste of chewing gum were preserved for a long time.

A serious role in the history of chewing gum was played by the Wrigley company, which became a significant player in the market at the end of the 19th century.

In 1891, successful soap salesman William Wrigley noticed that customers came to his shop not so much for the soap as for the two sticks of chewing gum that came with the purchase.

William Wrigley improved the technical process for the production of chewing gum and in 1892 began to produce Wrigley`s Spearmint gum, and a year later - Wrigley`s Juicy Fruit" - varieties that are still leaders in world sales. Wrigley also pioneered the mixing of gum with powdered sugar, the addition of mint and fruit additives, and the development of chewing gum forms (balls, sticks, sticks) that are still in use today.

In 1928, chemist Walter Diemer (Walter Diemer) created another kind of chewing gum - "bubble gum", Which made it easy to blow bubbles. This invention made chewing gum popular not only among adults interested in good breath, but also among children who have discovered a new way of entertainment.

After the Second World War, the fashion for chewing gum swept the whole world. The reason for this was the American military, whose diet included chewing gum. They introduced this product to the inhabitants of Asia, Africa and Europe. Gum began to be produced in Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France and other countries.

In the USSR, imported chewing gum was a cult object among children and adolescents, since it had not been produced inside the country for a long time, and the Soviet analogues that appeared in the 1970s were inferior to imported ones in terms of the possibility of inflating them and the colorful design of the packaging. In the early 1990s, candy wrappers and "liners" from chewing gum were the object of collecting and the subject of gambling among schoolchildren.

Chewing gum manufacturers prove the usefulness of their product. Its advantages include: the ability to clean the teeth and oral cavity from food debris after eating, freshness of breath. Sweeteners (sorbitol, xylitol) contained in chewing gum restore the acid-base balance. Chewing gum is used by airplane passengers to avoid stuffy ears.

The disadvantages of chewing gum, in particular, include its negative effect on tooth enamel (with too frequent chewing). In addition, excessive chewing contributes to the development of gastritis, since when a person chews, gastric juice is released, which irritates the surface of the stomach. Even the temporomandibular joint, the one that connects the temporal bone and the lower jaw, can suffer from constant chewing. jaw. If this joint is inflamed, chewing is not recommended.

September 23 is considered the birthday of gum. On this day in 1848, the Curtis Brothers in Maine, New England, made chewing gum and sold it. But in fact, the history of chewing gum began even earlier.

Small pieces of resin, discovered by archaeologists during excavations of the settlements of ancient people, are nothing but the first chewing gum. In ancient Greece and the Middle East, mastic gum was used to clean teeth. For more than 1000 years, the Mayan Indians have used hevea juice (rubber) for the same purpose.

The first industrial production of chewing gum dates back to the middle of the 19th century. The Curtis brothers came up with the idea of ​​selling portion-packed pieces of pine resin mixed with beeswax. Having achieved some success in trading with a new product, in 1850 they decided to expand production.

By adding a variety of paraffin flavors to the chewing gum, which gave it a specific taste, the brothers began to produce chewing gum of four brands: American Flag, 200th Block Spruce, Highway Pine and Yankee Pine.

With the advent of rubber gum, their popularity plummeted. A patent for the production of chewing gum from rubber was obtained in 1869 by William Finley Semple of Ohio, but he did not go further. And yet it was this year that the rubber band saw the light of day. It began to be produced by Thomas Adams - a resident of the state of New York. Having bought a ton of rubber cheaply and not finding a better use for it, he boiled a small piece of rubber at his own home and formed chewing gum.

Having quickly sold this first handicraft batch in a grocery store, Adams, inspired by success, thought about creating a larger production. Since 1871, after he patented an automatic machine for its production, he began to produce chewing gum, beloved by Americans, on a large scale. His next step was to change the taste of this product by adding licorice flavor. In addition, from now on, chewing gum black jack, as Adams called it, changed shape and became like a pencil. This name has become known to almost every American.

By the beginning of the new century, many entrepreneurs had already focused on their production. A new, previously unknown boom was caused by inflating chewing gum Blibber-Blubber(bubble gum), invented in 1906 by Frank Flier and improved in 1928 by Walter Diemer, an accountant for Flir's company. Also, it is this company that owns the original idea for the production of candies with chewing gum inside. They were in special demand during Prohibition, as they significantly reduced the smell of alcohol.

Since then, chewing gum has firmly and, it seems, forever become an invariable attribute of our life. Whether this is good or bad is debatable. But to reduce its negative impacts (and they exist), today their composition is carefully tested and repeatedly checked.

The main component of this product is the sap of the sapodilla tree, native to Central America, or the resin of some coniferous trees, specially processed and softened. In addition, it contains substances that have a refreshing and deodorizing effect, such as menthol or peppermint. Chewing gums of the latest generation instead of sugar contain glucose or sorbitol, which inhibit the development of caries.

She was called a symbol of America, banned and tried not to notice. And she claimed the lives of two dozen Soviet people and still conquered the Russian market. The true history of chewing gum and its true impact on the human body today - in a review on MedAboutMe.

Turned pages of history

If you could go back and get into 1871 in New York, you could try the first patented chewing gum - Black Jack. Unlike its predecessors, it had a pleasant taste, looked attractive and did not contain third-party impurities. The chewing gums that were produced before that scared off buyers with a nondescript appearance and a poor degree of purification of raw materials, which is why real coniferous needles sometimes came across in them!

They sold new gum for five cents a piece. Its manufacturer is thomas adams, He delivered the first batches of goods to pharmacies completely free of charge, provided that the owners put new products on display. It soon brought him a considerable income.

And in 1888, Tutti-Frutti chewing gum was produced at the Adams factory, which immediately conquered America. Its fruity taste captivated the inhabitants of the country and became known far beyond the borders of the United States. For the first time, gum vending machines are being installed at train stations in New York. Using an elastic band becomes fashionable, cool and prestigious.

A tragic incident contributed to the emergence of chewing gum in the USSR. In March 1975, the junior team of the Soviet Union and the Canadian team met on the ice arena at the Sokolniki Sports Palace. The guests from Canada were sponsored by the Wrigley company, which has been producing chewing gum for over a hundred years.

During the game, visitors treated Soviet children to chewing gum, which was considered a valuable, scarce commodity. In the third match, one of the Canadians threw a handful of chewing gum into the podium, after which an instant stampede formed. Everyone wanted to try a new product and was eager to get it. The administration of the Sports Palace, seeing that the guests took up cameras and video cameras, ordered to turn off the lighting. So in total darkness, 21 people died, most of them were children. This case was not described in the press, but it was he who prompted the USSR authorities to think about creating domestic chewing gum.

Products that are the prototype of modern chewing gum can be found in every corner of the globe. Archaeological excavations show that the ancient Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic pistachio tree, which they used as a hygiene product. The Egyptians prepared a mixture of frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon mixed with honey. The Mayan tribes used the hardened sap of the hevea tree, and the northern Indians used the resin of coniferous trees.

On the territory of Siberia larch resin, which was called "Siberian resin", was held in high esteem. She not only played the role of chewing gum, but also strengthened the gums. With its help, they even treated various diseases.

But if the first prototypes of chewing gum were in principle harmless and even somewhat useful, then the modern product causes a lot of controversy. And there are reasons for that!

The “ideal” chewing gum formula that is still used today was invented in 1928 by a 23-year-old American Walter Leamer. The gum was 60% sugar (or sugar substitutes), 19% corn syrup, 20% rubber, and 1% flavoring. The product was distinguished by the fact that it had high elasticity and allowed to inflate bubbles. The product was named Dubble Bubble. It had a beautiful bright pink color that attracted the attention of children and teenagers.

About the benefits and harms of the product: the most interesting facts

Compared to chewing products from the past, today's product has real superpowers. It not only cleanses the oral cavity, has a disinfecting effect and prevents the development of bacteria, but also whitens teeth, prevents caries, helps relieve stress and even lose weight. But which of these is true, and which is just a marketing ploy?

The first chewing gums were made on the basis of sugar, which negatively affected the health of the teeth, as it created all the conditions for the development of caries and tooth decay. Modern gum most often does not contain sugar, it was replaced by sweeteners - xylitol, sorbitol and aspartame.

Unlike refined sugar, they do not affect the health of the teeth, but are not without side effects. So, there is evidence that aspartame can negatively affect the nervous system, provoke the occurrence of headaches, nausea, visual impairment.

Many gums contain xylitol. This substance reduces the number of bacteria in the mouth and neutralizes acids, thereby helping to protect tooth enamel. In addition, xylitol stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to remove plaque and food particles from the surface of the teeth.

Does not affect weight loss

In 2013 in the magazine Eating Behaviors published the results of an American study. It turned out that chewing gum, which is often recommended before meals to reduce hunger and reduce calorie intake, does not provide the benefits described. It doesn't help you lose weight!

On the contrary, mint-flavoured gum (and this is the most popular type of product in the world!) has a negative effect on taste buds, making healthy foods seem tasteless after it. As a result, consumers choose high-calorie unhealthy foods such as potato chips and candy and reduce the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet, which leads to weight gain.

Helps reduce symptoms of stress

Eating gum improves mood and reduces anxiety and stress, according to a study conducted in collaboration with major US gum manufacturers Wrigley and Cadbury. Of course, the data provided by manufacturers should be taken with skepticism, but many similar studies have shown the same results. Experiments have shown that the level of the hormone cortisol, a marker of stress, decreases with chewing.

To satisfy the need for chewing, as well as reduce the manifestations of stress, Dr. Don Atkins, a California dentist, recommends eating apples: “It's a healthier way to relieve stress. Among other things, apples reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which is swallowed with air. This is fraught with the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome. With this condition, there is a sharp pain in the abdomen, painful bowel movements are characteristic. Among other things, the synthetic sweeteners sorbitol E420 and mannitol E421 can cause diarrhea in some people.

Helps to beat drowsiness

Research by scientists from Coventry University show that chewing gum helps to overcome drowsiness and relieves fatigue. It's a decent alternative to coffee if you can't wake up.

The most popular chewing gum flavors in the world are mint, menthol and cinnamon.

Dangerous for children

The food additive E211, which is widely used today in the manufacture of chewing gums, is accused by scientists of stimulating hyperactivity in children. However, the preservative sodium benzoate is still allowed in Russia and Europe. However, researchers are seriously concerned about its negative effect.

There is talk that this preservative in alliance with artificial dyes (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) negatively affects the behavior and intelligence of children. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually withdraw them from use.

Experts admit that the effect of using chewing gum as a breath freshener is so short-lived that it can be ignored altogether.

Supplementing chewing gum with colored liners, which later became a collector's item, began in the 1930s. It was an initiative of the owner of a chewing gum company - William Wrigley. He ordered that chewing gum be wrapped in images of comic book heroes and reigning champions.

May be a migraine trigger

According to a study published in January 2014 in the journal Pediatric Neurology, regular use of chewing gum for a long period of time is fraught with health risks. Excessive tension of the temporomandibular joint, which occurs during chewing movements, leads to the appearance of migraines and headaches. Children and teenagers suffer from it first of all.

Affects memory

American scientists from Newcastle University concluded that chewing stimulated brain regions responsible for memory, increased insulin production, and increased heart rate. As a result, a person thinks faster and performs the tasks assigned to him.