Almost all modern gum base is made from rubber/plastic. If you want plastic free gum you'll likely have to switch to one that specifically advertised as such. Most people talk about Simply Gum; I've never tried it personally and don't know much about the company

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 42 points 2 months ago (3 children)

"Surprisingly, the natural based gums gave off the same amount of microplastics" so I'm not sure it's worth switching from the one you like. The better way to reduce your intake is not to start a new piece, instead keep chewing the old one that's releasing fewer and fewer particles. The best choice would be to stop chewing gum, but it helps me eat less, also there's apparently microplastics in foods too, and in everything else including our eyeballs.

[–] Buffalobuffalo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 months ago

Do you have any shabiri grapes?

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

How do gum bases not made of plastic give off plastic? Chicle and other natural gum bases come from plants.

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Your question made me wonder - what if the plants had micro plastics lol.

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They do, and it's affecting photosynthesis 😅

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 2 points 1 month ago

Yaaaaaaaaay

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

I don't know, I just quoted the study.

My theory as a non-scientist would be that the plastics aren't from the gum at all, but the gums and tongue which are apparently already full of them, according to random things on the Internet.

But that just shows how stupid it is to ask me

[–] Obi@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Crazy how different people react differently to things, I don't chew gum often but I did try it again when I started controlling my diet and for me it just seems to activate my hunger, like my brain thinks "I'm chewing something, time to prepare the stomach for receiving food!".

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

I understand that. In this case of course I have just eaten dinner which probably subverts that.