Beneficial Ingredients in Chewing Gums

Certain natural chewing gums contain beneficial ingredients such as clove oil, frankincense, myrrh, and xylitol. Below explains how these ingredients can benefit you.

Clove Oil

Back in 1914, Thomas Adams Company manufactured the first clove flavored chewing gum in the United States. Its popularity increased during the prohibition period as people used this strong smelling gum to cover the smell of alcohol. Today, clove oil is believed to reduce the bacteria that cause gum diseases while helping to create a balanced oral biome.

Clove Could Reduce Mouth Odor or Breath Issues As Well As Pain

Clove was first documented in the Arabian Peninsular in the 10th century for controlling mouth odors and pain. Its active ingredient, eugenol, the main compound in clove, is shown to have analgesic (pain relieving) and antiseptic properties.

Clove Oil Is Antibacterial

A study in 2012 titled "Antimicrobial Effect of Clove and Lemongrass Oils against Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus" found that clove oil had the ability to kill staph bacteria cells in liquid culture and biofilm, or the protective, slimy film that normally protects bacteria.

Clove Oil is Antifungal

A study in 2017 titled "Antifungal activity of essential oils against fungi isolated from air" found that clove oil was the most effective at stopping the growth of fungi among clove, lavender, and eucalyptus essential oils.

Clove Could Reduce Alcohol Drinking Related Side Effects

A small randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled crossover study published in 2018 ("Clove Bud Polyphenols Alleviate Alterations in Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers Associated with Binge Drinking: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study") showed that an extract of clove buds (clovinol) is effective for alleviating alcohol-related side effects such as oxidative stress and inflammation among social drinkers.

Frankincense

Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. According to the Scriptures, frankincense was one of the gifts given to Jesus.

Frankincense Can Help Gingivitis

A small double blinded randomized clinical study published in 2011 ("The effect of Frankincense in the treatment of moderate plaque-induced gingivitis: a double blinded randomized clinical trial") found that frankincense is anti-inflammatory and it improved inflammation based disease of gingival, a periodontal tissue disease due to the inflammation of the gums around teeth caused by the buildup of plaque, when used together with conventional mechanical therapy.

Frankincense Can Help with Asthma

Results of a double blind, placebo-controlled study from Germany titled "Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with bronchial asthma: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week clinical study" published in 1998, showed that 70 percent of the patients treated with 300 mg of boswellia gum resin three times a day for six weeks showed improvement, compared to only 27 percent of patients in A control group.

Myrrh

Myrrh is a natural gum or resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora. According to the Scriptures, Myrrh was one of the gifts given to Jesus. Myrrh has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense, and medicine.

Myrrh Improves Oral Health

A 2003 study titled "In vitro cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects of myrrh oil on human gingival fibroblasts and epithelial cells" showed that myrrh, traditionally used to treat oral infections and inflammation, has antimicrobial properties.

Myrrh is approved to be used as a flavor in certain natural mouthwash and toothpaste products by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States.

A 2016 study Saudi Arabia titled "The Efficacy of MYRRH in Oral Ulcer in Patients with Behcet's Disease" showed that when people with Behcet's disease, an inflammatory disorder, used a myrrh mouthwash to treat painful mouth sores four times daily for a week, 50% of them had complete pain relief and 19% had complete healing of their mouth sores.

When Frankincense and Myrrh Are Used Together

In a paper titled "Seeing the Unseen of the Combination of Two Natural Resins, Frankincense and Myrrh: Changes in Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities" published in 2019, the therapeutic effects of frankincense and myrrh are examined when they are used together. It concludes that "the abundant clinical experience shows that the combined use of frankincense and myrrh is not a simple superposition of the pharmacological effects of the two drugs, but a synergistic effect that increases the pharmacodynamics, including synergistic anti-inflammatory, synergistic anticancer, synergistic analgesic, synergistic antibacterial, and synergistic blood-activating effects. In addition, the frankincense-myrrh compound also has a significant penetration-promoting effect in vitro. These synergistic pharmacological effects have been confirmed more and more in modern experimental research, and the related mechanisms are also being gradually improved."

Xylitol

Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance in fruits and vegetables (plums, strawberries, cauliflowers, and pumpkins). Certain natural gums use xylitol as a sweetener.

Xylitol prevents dental caries

Xylitol is well documented for its dental benefits, such as reducing the risk for dental caries, according to a paper titled "Xylitol in preventing dental caries: A systematic review and meta-analyses" published in 2017. This is thought to function through three mechanisms: xylitol replaces cariogenic sucrose, xylitol may stimulate salivation, and xylitol may have specific inhibitory effects on Streptococcus mutans—the main causative microbe of dental caries, based on a paper titled "Gastrointestinal Disturbances Associated with the Consumption of Sugar Alcohols with Special Consideration of Xylitol: Scientific Review and Instructions for Dentists and Other Health-Care Professionals" published in 2016.

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