7 interesting facts about chewing gum. What happens when you swallow gum? Do I still have to clean my teeth if I used gum? When was gum in space for the first time? And was it there at all? What is the most popular gum flavor? Who are the 5 biggest gum manufacturers? What are their annual turnovers? How big was the largest gum bubble?
Do I have to clean my teeth? | Swallowing gum | Video – What Happens When You Swallow Gum? | Gum in space | Most popular flavor | Biggest gum manufacturers | Record – the world’s largest bubble | Facts about gum
7 Interesting Facts About Chewing Gum
1. Do I have to clean my teeth if I used gum?
Yes. You still need to clean your teeth twice a day with toothpaste and clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or floss at least once a day to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Chewing gum serves as a supplementary means of dental hygiene.
2. What happens when you swallow gum?
There is no evidence that swallowing gum is harmful. Swallowed gum will pass through your system like any other food, although it may take a little longer.
Video – What Happens When You Swallow Gum?
3. Gum was in space for the first time
Chewing gum made its way to space for the first time on June 3, 1965. Astronauts James McDivett and Ed White of Gemini IV brought it along to freshen their breath after losing their toothbrushes.
4. Most popular flavor
The most popular gum flavor is mint. The mint flavor comes from peppermint oil. One pound (0.45 kg) of peppermint oil is enough to flavor 100 pounds (45.5 kg) of gum.
5. Biggest gum manufacturers
- Mars Wrigley (45 billion USD)
- Mondelez International (13 billion USD)
- Perfetti Van Melle (3.4 billion USD)
- Lotus Bakeries (3.2 billion USD)
- Ferrero Group (2.5 billion USD)
Record – the world’s largest bubble
The record for the world’s largest bubble blown with gum is held by Chad Fell. He blew a bubble with a diameter of 50.8 cm (20 in) on April 24, 2004.
Facts about gum
- Cleaning teeth is still necessary
- Swallowing gum is not harmful
- Gum was in space for the first time in 1965
- Mint is the most popular flavor
- Top 5 gum manufacturers with annual turnovers
- The world’s largest gum bubble record
The largest blown bubblegum had an average diameter of 50.8 cm by American Chad Fell on April 24, 2004, at Double Springs High School (now Winston County High School) in Alabama, USA. It was done without using hands to stabilize or stretch the bubble. To create the pink bubble, he used the combined force of 3 pieces of Dubble Bubble gum.
7. Facts about Chewing Gum
- Czechs mostly chew one gum every 2 days (i.e., 1/2 gum per day).
- The average annual consumption of gum in the Czech Republic is 128 pieces per person. This ranks us 3rd among Eastern and Central European nations. Only Slovenians (167) and Croats (160) chew more. From Western Europe, Swiss (186) and Irish (173) chew the most, while Germans (112) have the lowest consumption of chewing gum.
- Americans chew more – the average annual consumption of gum is 200 pieces per person.
Sources
- https://www.dentalhealth.org/sugar-free-chewing-gum
- https://www.facebook.com/GuinnessWorldRecords/posts/chad-fell-usa-blew-a-bubblegum-bubble-with-a-diameter-of-508-cm-20-inches-at-dou/10155805465439032/
- The Chewing Gum Book, Robert Young
- https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/5-biggest-chewing-gum-companies-in-the-world-1088524/5/
- https://www.jimejinak.cz/ – a website in Czech language
- https://www.lidovky.cz/relax/zajimavosti/nejvice-na-vychode-zvykaji-slovinci-cesi-jsou-treti.A090611_133857_ln-zajimavosti_glu – article in Czech language about gum chewing – where is the most chewed in Eastern Europe (Czechs in 3rd place)