09/04/2025
Chewing gum may be one of the most overlooked sources of microplastic exposure.
In a new pilot study presented at the American Chemical Society, researchers found that chewing a single piece of gum released up to 3,000 microplastics into saliva. Most were shed within the first 8 minutes.
Even gums labeled “natural” released similar amounts of plastic particles as synthetic ones—including polyolefins, PET, polystyrenes, and polyacrylamides. These are the same polymers used in packaging, industrial materials, and water bottles.
Microplastics like these have been found in the brain, placenta, bloodstream, and arteries, where they may drive inflammation, disrupt endocrine signaling, and impair cellular health.
The gum industry doesn’t disclose what’s in the “gum base.” And without regulation, we’re chewing on polymers no one asked for—and no one’s fully studied.
Your mouth wasn’t designed to process plastic.
