Chew at your own risk: Discover the SHOCKING truth about cancer-causing chemicals in chewing gums
(NaturalHealth365) Who doesn’t like to have fresh breath? According to the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS), 160.03 million Americans used chewing gum in 2020. That’s a whole lot of gum!
Chewing gum manufacturers in the world have made a massive impact on the human population. But is that impact a positive one? We don’t think so. Tragically, the majority of chewing gums on the market contain cancer-causing chemicals that can destroy your health.
How can this go on? Chewing gum poisoning the population
One of the most dangerous and addictive substances in chewing gum is aspartame. This sweet poison is better known as Equal and NutraSweet. Before you buy any gum – read the label.
Aspartame is made up of three harmful ingredients:
1. Aspartic acid – which is an excitotoxin that causes damage and death to cells as it crosses the blood-brain barrier.
2. Phenylalanine – When combined with carbohydrates, aspartame causes excessive amounts of phenylalanine in the brain, which decreases serotonin levels that lead to mental instability, such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.
3. Methanol – It breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde when it reaches 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the body is normally set at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, this chemical embalms all living tissues as it reaches 86 degrees.
Unnecessary cancer-causing chewing gum preservative may do more harm than good
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are two common food additives. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a preservative that retards the rancidity in certain types of foods – usually fats, oil, and oil-containing foods.
According to a non-profit health advocacy organization called The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), BHT is an unnecessary additive that can be replaced easily by safer substitutes. Replacing BHT with vitamin E or packing foods (gums) under nitrogen instead of air are alternatives that don’t subject harm. CSPI also states that this synthetic chemical can just be left out.
Liver toxicity caused by bleaching agent used in chewing gum
Used as a food colorant or whitening agent, titanium dioxide has been shown in recent studies to cause a host of physical ailments. The Journal of Toxicological Sciences reports this chemical induces an inflammatory response, hepatocyte apoptosis, and liver dysfunction. The study found changes in the expression of 785 genes related to:
- Immune and inflammatory response
- Apoptosis
- Oxidative stress
- The metabolic process
- Stress response
- Cell cycle
- Ion transport
- Signal transduction
- Cell proliferation
- Cytoskeleton
- Cell differentiation
In fact, long-term exposure to titanium dioxide results in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A study published in Neurotoxicology confirms this and also states the dangers to human health are related to cellular uptake and internalization as well as the accumulation within brain cells. Titanium dioxide has the potential to “induce cerebral damage and neurodegenerative disease.”
Conclusion? Don’t waste your money: Chewing gum is truly a “silent” killer.
Aspartame, BHT, and titanium dioxide are only a few of the dangerous ingredients in chewing gum. There are many more harmful chemicals. So, if you must chew gum, make sure it’s organic and non-GMO verified without all the harmful ingredients.
Sources for this article include:
NIH.gov
Statista.com
NIH.gov
FDA.gov
CPINET.org
Academic.oup.com
Sciencedirect.com