Gum is good. It keeps your mouth busy, tastes good and is fairly inexpensive. If you’re anything like me then you probably chew gum for a majority of the day. However, after sitting in my anatomy class the other day (in which we covered the mouth extensively), I began to rethink gum.

The mouth, primarily known for its awesome crushing ability, is also known for its remarkable absorption capabilities. With thousands of capillaries resting just below a thin wall of cells in your gums, it is relatively easy for your body to absorb a variety of substances. So what’s the deal with gum?

Gum comes in two basic varieties. Those with sugar, and those without sugar. A majority of U.S. adults chew sugar free gum. So how do you get the flavoring? A chemical called aspartame (APM) is the sweet culprit. You may think you’re not familiar with aspartame, but on a daily basis you’re consuming this substance through products such as table sweeteners (ever heard of Equal?), coffee, gelatin desserts, and many other seemingly harmless products. This artificial sweetener is suspected to lead to the following:

• Birth Defects
• Brain Cancer
• Diabetes
• Emotional Disorders
• Epilepsy/Seizures

So what are we college student supposed to do?

The answer comes in a little container called Spry. This gum is a little gem I found the other day shopping at my local Sprouts.

Positives

• Sugar free (without artificial sweetener)
• Contains xylitol which is actually healthy for your teeth
• Only costs .09 cents per piece (figured at $9.45 for a tub of 100 pieces – 5 gum was .08 cents at $1.25 for 15 pieces)

Negatives (yes, unfortunately)

• I always have to consume 2 pieces to make the flavor last for more than 5 minutes, after that, it’s gone.
• Constantly out of supply in grocery stores (maybe this is a positive? lots of people are purchasing it)

So once again I leave you with another option to add to your vast organic arsenal in hopes that you too can turn around your and your friends’ health.