Chewing gum is a daily habit for many people, often enjoyed without a second thought. But a new study from UCLA suggests that this simple act could be exposing us to thousands of tiny plastic particles.
Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering found that both natural and synthetic chewing gums release microplastics during chewing—particles so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye but may still end up in your body.
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, often smaller than a grain of sand, that are found in everything from water bottles to food packaging. They come from the breakdown of larger plastic items or are directly manufactured to be microscopic, such as in some cosmetic products.
In recent years, scientists have become increasingly concerned about the amount of microplastics in our environment—and their possible effects on human health.
Curious about whether chewing gum could be another unexpected source of plastic exposure, UCLA professor Sanjay Mohanty and graduate student Lisa Lowe set out to investigate.
They tested 10 popular gum brands, with half using synthetic ingredients (like petroleum-based polymers) and the other half using natural ingredients such as chicle, a plant-based sap traditionally used in chewing gum.
To simulate real chewing conditions, they asked a volunteer to chew seven pieces of each gum for four minutes, collecting saliva samples every 30 seconds. In a follow-up experiment, they monitored microplastic release over 20 minutes. What they discovered was surprising: both synthetic and natural gums released similar levels of microplastics.
The researchers found that for every gram of gum chewed, around 100 microplastic particles were released. Some gum types gave off as many as 600 particles per gram.
Since a typical piece of gum weighs between 2 and 6 grams, a single piece could produce over 3,000 particles during a chewing session. Over a year, someone who chews 160 to 180 pieces of gum could unknowingly swallow around 30,000 microplastic particles.
Despite these numbers, the scientists aren’t sounding the alarm just yet. “Our goal is not to scare people,” said Mohanty. “We still don’t know for sure whether microplastics are harmful to humans. There haven’t been any human trials.”
However, studies on animals and human cells suggest that microplastics might cause problems like inflammation or damage to organs, though more research is needed to confirm this.
One small bit of good news from the study: the release of microplastics is highest during the first few minutes of chewing. In fact, 94% of particles were released in the first eight minutes. So if you’re concerned about microplastic exposure, simply chewing gum for longer without replacing it could reduce the amount you ingest, according to Lowe.
In summary, while chewing gum might seem harmless, it’s now clear that it could be another way microplastics enter our bodies.
This research adds to the growing evidence that plastic particles are present in many parts of our daily lives, from the water we drink to the food we eat—and now, even in our favorite chewy treats. The full health impact of microplastics is still unknown, but this study raises important questions about everyday products we rarely question.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the harm of vitamin D deficiency, and Mediterranean diet may preserve brain volume in older adults.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods to naturally lower high blood pressure, and a simple breakfast switch can help control type 2 diabetes.
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