Flavorless chewing gum?

February 11, 2011 10:15 AM

I'm looking for sweetener-less, sugarless (and yes, flavorless) chewing gum.

I want to chew gum for the dental health benefits, but I can't stomach the artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, xylitol, etc), and I don't want sugared gum. I also don't want any mint. I just want the chewing experience.

This Ask Mefi post asked the same question, but most of the useful links are now dead. I also read about Nihilist Chewing Gum, but it doesn't seem like it's available.

Is there any other just-plain-gum out there?

posted by Robson to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

If you can find some spruce sap, after it has crystalized, it makes something like this. It tastes very much like tree sap at first (sometimes I spit a few times at first), but eventually it tastes like nothing at all. But for that and the errant bit of bark, it sounds like what you're looking for. Ok, maybe it isn't, but I like it a lot... If you're interested memail me your address and I'll send some your way next time I find it.
posted by stinker at 10:32 AM on February 11, 2011

You can buy gum base, which is just the chewy part of chewing gum. Leeners is one source.
posted by ChrisHartley at 10:35 AM on February 11, 2011

If you chew on a handful of wheat berries for a while, you'll end up with a stretchy, gummy piece of gluten. My brother and I did this all the time when we were kids.
posted by bewilderbeast at 10:44 AM on February 11, 2011

Raw or cooked wheat berries?
posted by insectosaurus at 10:57 AM on February 11, 2011

If you can find a store that specialises in Greek ingredients you might be able to find some Mastic Gum (or, possibly in a health food store? I bought mine in the UK so I'm not sure what the availability is in the US). I realise the wiki article says it has a strong flavour but I've found it vary from full-on to extremely bland. It's definitely not minty and as far as I could tell rarely sweetened.
posted by AFII at 11:07 AM on February 11, 2011

Raw wheat berries, unsprouted.
posted by bewilderbeast at 11:11 AM on February 11, 2011

Wax will also do it... like the wax from those wax lips or little juice bottle treats as a kid. I'm sure you could get that somewhere.
posted by Night_owl at 11:15 AM on February 11, 2011

Maybe you could consider chewing some frankincense? It's really rather interesting stuff, with a pleasant smoky taste and a nice chewy texture after you chew it a bit.
posted by peacheater at 11:37 AM on February 11, 2011

Wheat berries might not be what you're looking for to prevent tooth decay. I was told by my dentist that a specific kind of tooth decay along the gum line of the lower jaw is common among bread bakers. He used a specific term, but I can't remember it and can't seem to find it on google. Anyway, bakers will taste raw dough to make sure that the salt (which is added late in the mix) isn't left out. The flour left in the saliva would settle to the bottom of the mouth, providing a constant stream of food to the bacteria there.
posted by clockwork at 12:07 PM on February 11, 2011

As a kid my friends and I used to chew the dental wax we got with our braces.
posted by MsMolly at 12:35 PM on February 11, 2011

AFII has it right. Mastic gum is chewed but flavorless. I used to get it overseas as well, but you can find it on Amazon .
posted by defenestrated at 12:50 PM on February 11, 2011

You can find Nihilist gum at Archie McFee's store in Seattle (but it won't help you in the long run).
posted by onesidys at 6:07 PM on February 11, 2011

I used to chew wax off wheels of Gouda.
posted by kestrel251 at 10:06 PM on February 11, 2011

Just to let you know, the dental benefit of chewing gum is derived from the xylitol.
posted by euphorb at 6:41 AM on February 12, 2011