You might not think twice about popping a piece of gum, but a recent study shows that chewing gum could actually be a source of microplastics—tiny plastic particles that are turning out to be everywhere.
What’s the Deal with Microplastics in Gum?
Researchers at UCLA tested 10 different types of gum—five natural and five synthetic—and discovered that each gram of gum could release up to 637 microplastic particles. Most of these particles are released in the first 8 minutes of chewing. And it turns out, whether your gum is plant-based or synthetic, both types release similar amounts of microplastics.
Why Should You Care?
Microplastics are tiny enough to end up in your body, and although scientists aren’t sure yet if they’re harmful, the fact that we’re exposed to them in many everyday products is concerning. In this study, polyolefins (a type of plastic) were the most commonly found microplastic in saliva. So while scientists aren’t panicking just yet, it’s important to think about how much plastic is floating around in our daily lives.
What Does This Mean for You?
This study doesn’t mean you need to quit chewing gum, but it does raise some important questions about the tiny particles we might be swallowing. For now, we just don’t know how these microplastics could affect our health, but knowing they’re out there is the first step in figuring it out.
Next time you reach for a piece of gum, maybe think about how it might be adding to the plastic in our environment. And who knows, in the future, there might be gum that’s free from microplastics—now that would be a sweet change!
