The Gum Truth: Unveiling the Microplastic Menace - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

Chewing a single piece of gum can release up to 3,000 microplastic particles into your mouth within minutes, with most released in the first 60 seconds
Both synthetic and "natural" chewing gums release similar amounts of plastic particles, which include types used in packaging and automotive parts
Regular gum chewers may ingest around 30,000 plastic particles annually, adding to microplastic exposure from other sources like food packaging and bottled water
Most consumers are unaware that "gum base" contains oil-based synthetic rubbers similar to those used in car tires and plastic bags
Discarded gum doesn't biodegrade but persists as environmental plastic pollution for decades, making it both a health and environmental concern

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen
0:06.1	summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe
0:11.2	for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:14.1	Hello and welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're taking a closer look
0:22.5	at a surprising source of microplastic exposure that most of us never think about. Chewing gum.
0:29.3	If you're joining us because you're interested in health and wellness, you'll want to hear about this.
0:34.2	Alongside me is Elara Sky, who focuses on natural health. Today we'll discuss new research
0:40.3	showing that each piece of gum might be releasing thousands of plastic particles directly into your
0:45.6	mouth. Thank you, Ethan. There's been a lot of attention on microplastics in our food, water,
0:51.6	and environment. Most of us have heard about plastic bits in bottled water or from packaging.
0:57.4	What many don't realize is that chewing gum also contributes to that load of microplastics.
1:02.7	According to research from the University of California, Los Angeles,
1:06.4	a single piece of gum can release up to 3,000 microplastic particles,
1:12.4	and most of those come off in the first few minutes.
1:14.2	That's a big number.
1:15.2	What struck me is the study's comparison between synthetic gums and what are often marketed
1:19.9	as natural gums.
1:21.8	They tested five synthetic brands and five natural brands, and they found both release
1:26.8	similar levels of plastic.
1:28.3	It's not just the petroleum-based products that pose a risk.
1:31.3	Even those labeled as natural might shed the same amount of microplastics.
1:36.3	The particles they detected were about 20 micrometers or larger,
	...

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