Pros And Cons Of Sugar-free Chewing Gum

Video: Pros And Cons Of Sugar-free Chewing Gum

Video: Pros And Cons Of Sugar-free Chewing Gum
Video: Is Chewing Gum Bad for Your Teeth? | Ask a Dentist. 2024, November
Pros And Cons Of Sugar-free Chewing Gum
Pros And Cons Of Sugar-free Chewing Gum
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Parents and dentists have long known that excessive sugar consumption spoils teeth. Caries occurs when bacteria turn sugar into corrosive enamel acid.

Recently, however, the question of the benefits of sugar-free chewing gum has become increasingly controversial. According to a recent study by British scientists, regular chewing of chewing gum containing sweeteners can lead to the accumulation of large amounts of aspartame in the body. According to the authors of the study, aspartame increases the deposition of fat in the body by 40% more than regular sugar.

Aspartame is a sweetener discovered in 1965 by accident. After more than 100 safety studies, the product was approved by the FDA in 1981, indicating that it did not increase the risk of developing malignancies in laboratory animals. Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Unlike other sweeteners, it should not be used in cooking involving heat treatment.

According to another study published in the British Dental Journal, there is very little evidence of this. It has even been found that the most commonly used sweeteners such as xylitol and sorbitol can cause enamel damage when taken in combination with additives such as preservatives and artificial flavors and colors.

Chewing gum
Chewing gum

The American Food and Drug Association and the European Union have approved the use of xylitol in chewing gum because it is believed that it does not ferment in corrosive enamel acid, but also increases the production of enzymes in saliva, which is good for preventing the formation of caries.

Xylitol is actually a sugar alcoholic sweetener that occurs in nature and can be used to sweeten a wide range of sugar-free products, including chewing gum, confectionery, pharmaceuticals and other oral hygiene products.

A large number of wide-ranging and field trials have shown that regular consumption of xylitol-sweetened gum or confectionery can reduce the incidence of dental caries (dental caries) by 35% to 100%.

So there is a lot of controversy about xylitol, but research has certainly shown that it is a better option than its cheaper alternative - sorbitol, which ferments.

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