Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health The Gum Truth: Unveiling the Microplastic Menace - AI Podcast
Apr 25, 2025
Chewing a single piece of gum can eject up to 3,000 microplastic particles into your mouth in just minutes. Regular gum chewers may ingest around 30,000 plastic particles each year, adding to the myriad of microplastics we encounter in daily life. Surprisingly, both synthetic and 'natural' gums contain similar levels of plastic. Discarded gum exacerbates environmental plastic pollution, persisting for decades. The discussion also highlights health risks and urges transparency in gum labeling, encouraging listeners to consider natural alternatives.
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Gum Releases Thousands of Microplastics
- A single piece of gum can release up to 3,000 microplastic particles within minutes, mostly in the first two minutes.
- Both synthetic and so-called natural gums shed similar microplastic amounts during chewing.
Gum Base Is Synthetic Rubber
- Gum base is essentially synthetic rubber, including plastics used in grocery bags and car tires.
- This makes chewing gum a direct source of ingesting plastic particles regularly.
Gum Causes Long-Term Plastic Pollution
- Discarded chewing gum does not biodegrade and persists as plastic pollution for decades.
- It hardens in the environment, releasing microplastics and contributing to costly cleanup efforts.