Pros: Gum with xylitol (a natural sweetener) is a very healthy sweetenr choice. Often gums with the ADA (American Dental Association) logo contain this. (Trident brand contains that). I read a dentist’s comments in the Reader’s Digest that xylitol actually changes the chemistry (for the positive) in the mouth. It is also considered very healthy for the body. It can be purchased at Whole Foods. Another sweetener choice is Stevia drops (from Whole Foods) that I use in my smoothies to sweeten up my unsweetened plain yogurt. It’s very concentrated and only takes a few drops so a little goes a long way.

Another pro with gum is those with digestive issues such as heartburn who don’t chew their food well, can benefit from chewing gum following a meal (for a short time) because the saliva releases enzymes that helps to digest the meal.

Cons of gum: Per Dr. Mercola on his web-site he advises against chewing gum in general because this stimulates the body to release some of it’s stores of digestive enzymes, due to the chewing process releasing saliva, causing us to think we are consuming food. Since our body has a limited capacity for producing them over our life time, he advises against wasting them on chewing gum.