Conventional gum is gross; it's time to switch to organic, courtesy of the rainforest

Wednesday, March 09, 2016 by: Jennifer Lea Reynolds
Tags: organic gum, rainforest, Chicza

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(NaturalNews) Many people chew gum because they think it tastes good, want to improve bad breath, or think the tiny treat will keep weight-gaining hunger pangs at bay. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: You should stay as far away from it as possible. Sorry to burst your bubble everyone, but it's true.

Turns out, there's a lot of health-harming, unnatural ingredients in traditionally-made gum. Everything from petroleum and glycerin, to petroleum wax, aspartame and latex, lurks in that wad of chewing gum – and it gets worse.

A "How it's Made" video provides even more shocking details, including the fact that gum was first patented – interestingly – by a dentist in 1869. The introduction of bubblegum came later, and although it used to be made of tree resin, it eventually came to be synthetically made from plastic and rubbers. Yes, plastic and rubbers! This synthetic version is what you're chewing every time you make your gum choice in the candy aisle or supermarket checkout area.

Gross! Rubber, plastic, dextrose and other health-harming ingredients lurk in traditional gum

The alarming video also sheds light on the fact that the rubber and plastic gum base is softened and sweetened up with glucose syrup and dextrose. Then, when the base is the consistency of bread dough, it's poured into machines that extrude the material into smaller pieces, where it's eventually cooled, cut and wrapped. Finally, several pieces are sealed in airtight containers to keep the gum, um, fresh. Sorry, but "fresh" implies that a food is as natural as possible; it shouldn't be used to explain a process that involves rubber, glucose syrup and powdered sweeteners.

Hopefully, by now you've tossed that gum you were chewing before reading this article in the trash.

So now what?

If you enjoy gum, but don't want to eat the horrible ingredients that traditional gum contains, you have an option.

Make the switch to organic chewing gum, straight from the Mayan rainforest

Chicza is a company that takes prides in its organic gum, which comes straight from the Mayan rainforest. Just the thought of something made from a rainforest should be enough for any health-conscious person to want to make the switch from traditional chewing gum to Chicza's gum. Its packaging, for example, states that it's "organic Mayan rainforest chewing gum," and comes with "biodegradable" and "USDA/Organic" labeling.

Even better, the process used to make their gum is a welcome contrast to the one previously described. Instead of rubber and synthetic ingredients, the company explains that "Chicozapote latex is extracted from 100 ft tall trees by making z-shaped superficial cuts on the bark, which zigzag down to a bag placed at the base." It's explained that the dripping sap fills the bags up, in a slow process where each tree rests for up to seven years before the next harvest. The company says that this method does not harm trees, while providing consumers with gum that is totally unlike the unhealthy, artificial stuff they're so used to chewing today.

Additionally, the company's website says that "When you chew Chicza, you are supporting the livelihood of a Chiclero and his family. In return, the Chiclero continues to preserve the forest where he and his family live."

All around, there's no reason not to start enjoying this gum. It's organic, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, biodegradable and sustainable – and comes in a variety of flavors: mint, cinnamon and mixed berry. Switch to a healthier gum-chewing choice; order Chicza gum today!

I don't know about you, but to me it certainly sounds better than chomping down on a health-destroying plastic and aspartame concoction.

Sources for this article include:

Minds.com

YouTube.com

ChiczaUSA.com

Science.NaturalNews.com