Grow Your Own Gum: The Chewing Gum Alternative

Posted on Jul 20 2011 - 2:00am by Mike Lieberman

Categorized as

Thoughts on the Food World

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There was a post on The Healthy Home Economist called The Sticky Truth About Chewing Gum that got me thinking about alternatives.

That’s when it hit me, I already have some growing on my balcony garden and so can you.

Why you might want to consider popping that next piece of chewing gum

Before I get into the alternative, I want to briefly discuss some highlights of the post. Chewing gum…

…is often made up of lots of artificial ingredients and sweeteners. GMO corn syrup is a popular one.
…gets your stomach ready for digestion, but nothing ever makes its way down. Valuable digestive enzymes are therefore wasted.
…a cause for a lot of stress in the jaw bone according to an oral surgeon in Dallas.
…releases the mercury from your amalgam fillings into your body. This is even more toxic for pregnant women as the mercury makes its way down to the fetus.

The chewing gum alternative

Now that you have the reasons why you might reconsider chewing gum, check out my alternative – fresh herbs.

Yup that’s right. What’s better than chewing on some fresh mint or parsley? Nope, I’m not crazy. As with any alternative there are pros and cons. Let’s weight them.

Pros

There are no artificial sweeteners and GMOs. It doesn’t get any more natural than this.
If you go with the mint flavor, it will help with digestion.
You will save money. Your herbs will last longer and be much more affordable than regular chewing gum.

Cons

It only comes in one color – green.
Limited flavor selection. Mint comes in spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, apple mint and pineapple mint. Parsley only comes in one flavor….parsley.
No fun packaging and wrapping that you can put in your pocket and get stuck in the washing machine.

There it is your very own chewing gum alternative that you can grow on your own. What’s your thoughts?

43 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

Anonymous July 20, 2011 at 2:36 pm -

That’s an amazing idea! Thanks for bringing up solutions.
Kip July 20, 2011 at 4:25 pm -

When you buy raw honey (depending on the company) there is a layer of beeswax on top that keep the honey flavor. I’m going to go home and try chewing on some herbs+beeswax in hopes this will both sweeten the herbs and give you some of the chewiness to which I grown accustomed.

That might sound gross, and I know a lot of followers are probably vegetarian (as I am), but this might just be an interesting suggestion. When I was a kid and my mom would make beef jerky, sometimes it would overdry and the jerky would get really hard. I remember chewing on the fat for hours and it kept tasting like beef jerky. I would take all the jerky and hoard the fat because I LOVED beef jerky and the flavor stayed with it a long time.
Violetlin2011 July 20, 2011 at 4:29 pm -

That works if I’m at home. But I have a wage slave job where I am on my feet in one place for up to 8 hrs at a time, and chewing gum helps keep me sane. I wonder how long mint would last in a baggie in my pocket? Are my customers going to think I look like a cow chewing its cud? Are my teeth going to turn green? And it doesn’t address the mercury release issue. I’ve had most of my silver fillings replaced with that tooth colored plastic stuff. Wonder if that’s any less toxic to chew on day after day? Random thoughts…lol Thanks for a great blog and leading me to another interesting thing to “like” on facebook (the healthy home economist).
Cherise July 20, 2011 at 4:44 pm -

What a great idea! In fact, my 16 yo son watched your video with me and asked if we had any mint. We went outside and tried two different kinds – chocolate mint and spearmint. Spearmint was a little weird because it’s fuzzy but the chocolate mint was very minty, although, sadly with no chocolate flavor only smell. A couple years ago I had a stevia plant that I would pick leaves off of and chew on for the sweetness. You could combine the mint and stevia for a very gum-like flavor. Really cool idea!

btw, I gave up chewing gum last year when I realized that no matter what brand I use it makes me congested. Also, my SIL went to the emergency room twice for severe stomach pain and eventually traced it to the gum she chewed every day at work. Two good reasons to give up gum.
Heather July 20, 2011 at 5:16 pm -

Love this! My girls chew on mint from our yard and basil too! As a former heart burn sufferer I would advise everyone to ditch the gum and try your favorite herb-try watercress and cilantro too!
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 6:49 pm -

Watercress and cilantro. Hardcore.
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 6:50 pm -

Nice. You have a smart son. Mint and stevia…good call.
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 6:51 pm -

It very well might last in a baggie. What would be the difference in how you looked chewing gum or mint?!?!
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 6:52 pm -

Interesting idea with the honey. Lemme know how it works out.

So you stopped snappin into Slim Jims?
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 6:52 pm -

Wonderful.
Jessica @ Delicious Obsessions July 20, 2011 at 8:06 pm -

I chew on stevia leaves. I’m thinking that a stevia leaf and a peppermint leaf would be quite nice.
Anonymous July 20, 2011 at 8:47 pm -

Do I have something in my teeth? 🙂

I’m an herb chewer.
TD Hawk July 20, 2011 at 9:03 pm -

OK, you can write about gum, but stay away from beer and chocolate donuts. I don’t want to know what’s in those, other than the primary ingredients of beer and chocolate :>)
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 10:11 pm -

I need to grow some stevia. Good call.
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 10:11 pm -

Herb chewerereerer.
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 10:11 pm -

Aren’t those the only ingredients?
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 10:11 pm -

Aren’t those the only ingredients?
Ariel Kirkwood July 20, 2011 at 10:12 pm -

I’m also curious as to what the implications are for amalgam fillings. Love the post, though, Mike. Keep up the great work!
Mike Lieberman July 20, 2011 at 10:28 pm -

Thanks bro. There is lots of info out there about the dangers of amalgam fillings and how they are toxic to our bodies. You go to Drexel? That’s where I went! Tell Calvin I said hi!
Katherine Kelley July 21, 2011 at 1:10 am -

My boyfriend and I chew on the wax from our hives when we rob it. Last time he even cut a huge block and put it in the freezer. I think it’s OK, but he loves the stuff.
Nelljean July 21, 2011 at 1:51 am -

Or you could plant a liquidambar tree and chew hardened sweet gum sap. It isn’t bad.
Mike Lieberman July 21, 2011 at 6:50 am -

No clue what that is, but sounds decent.
Lori July 21, 2011 at 11:20 am -

Some great gum alternatives-thank you. I’ve also heard that some chewing gum has plastic mixed in-yum!
Carolyn July 21, 2011 at 1:27 pm -

My 5 3/4 year old grandson Aidan, sits on my porch and chews: Basil, mint, lettuce and whatever is growing at the moment. Never thought of calling it chewing gum! He will like this!!!
Mike Lieberman July 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm -

Who doesn’t love to chew on some plastic…
Mike Lieberman July 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm -

Smart kid. Way ahead of himself 😉
D. July 21, 2011 at 1:54 pm -

There are a number of things you can chew on, but not all of them are convenient and some don’t last very long. You can use fennel seeds, anise seeds, and whole cloves. Dill weed is good if you like that flavor, but it’s kinda strong so only a little at a time. Pineapple sage leaves are excellent.

Dig through your spice rack for ideas. ;->
Mike Lieberman July 21, 2011 at 8:47 pm -

I couldn’t imagine chewing on dill like that. Love the pineapple sage idea though.
Jane Weeks July 22, 2011 at 12:15 am -

I tried making gum from the spruce tree natural gum. Apparently that’s how gum began. Mine didn’t work out, though. 🙁
Mike Lieberman July 22, 2011 at 1:31 am -

Give it another shot!
Dawn Mischler July 22, 2011 at 7:23 am -

Fresh! I love these thoughts you have…Here in WI we can gather wintergreen from up nort’
I also have apple mint to chew on…other than that I don’t really care if I have gum or not. I remember too many times hearing my grandma tell me that swallowing gum is bad for the stomach and that it stays in your guts for years. So I actually was kind of afraid of chewing it too much mostly b/c I was afraid I would swallow it by accident!
Emily Gonzalez July 22, 2011 at 1:37 pm -

I nibble on mint all of the time. It’s a great solution! Basil is also great for chewing on.
Mike Lieberman July 22, 2011 at 2:16 pm -

Your grandmother is a smart lady!
Justin July 25, 2011 at 7:23 am -

Not to mention that some chewing gums aren’t biodegradable. The gums people chewed in their childhood still remain intact somewhere to this day and ever more.
Mike Lieberman July 25, 2011 at 1:42 pm -

I’ve heard cinnamon basil is good to chew on…
Mike Lieberman July 25, 2011 at 1:42 pm -

Crazy to think of it that way.
Bvrlypauge July 27, 2011 at 6:42 am -

Like the Chewing Gum tip a lot! (7/20/11) I suggest that after chewing ‘green gum’ check your teeth for little green leftovers!
Mike Lieberman July 27, 2011 at 1:56 pm -

Ain’t nothin wrong with some leftovers 😉
Mrs green @littlegreenblog.com July 30, 2011 at 5:13 pm -

fab idea – over here in the sunny UK, chewing gum litter costs us £138 million to clear up off the streets every year.

Just to be the party pooper for a moment and with my ‘nutritional counsellor’ head on, be wary of chewing without swallowing anything – when you chew, the stomach starts producing acid in anticipation for food. If no food arrives it can eventually lead to stomach ulcers in susceptible people 😉 I’ve treated clients with persistent acid heartburn and pains in the stomach and the majority of them, when we started digging around their lifestyle habits were gum chewers.

But hey, maybe herb chewing doesn’t have the same effects as crappy gum; would be interesting to research…
Mike Lieberman August 3, 2011 at 11:40 pm -

Yes. Get back to me on that one. Would definitely be interesting.
Jill Bejger-Frederick July 15, 2012 at 6:30 pm -

One question before I actually try it: is it chewy? How long can you chew on it, and then do you just swallow it? I’m a fanatical gum chewer, like for hours at a time. This sounds like a great alternative as long as it lasts and stays in tact…
lindsay! May 16, 2013 at 7:09 pm -

I had never thought of the trickery is does on the stomach.
Herbs are the way to go!
lemonbalm May 18, 2013 at 5:39 pm -

i enjoy lemon balm this way