Confession. I’m an avid gum chewer. But the more I chomped away, the more I started to wonder if my habit was a bit toxic.

Turns out I was dealing with artificial flavors, aspartame, BHT and something a bit more concerning: the catch-all term “gum-base.”  On a gum label, “gum-base” can legally refer to a plethora of synthetic rubber bases: polyethylene, polyvinyl acetate, or even petroleum (paraffin) wax. Those naughty P-words. 

These synthetic rubbers are used to vamp up the texture and keep the flavor lasting longer.  Unfortunately, the synthetic gum bases can also wreak havoc both for the environment and your digestive health.

But, before you swear off gum, there are some alternative brands to try. Today I wanted to highlight Simply Gum.

Simply Gum is green, clean and a bunch of other things too (vegan, kosher, dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free). The company uses only Non-GMO certified natural ingredients  (no artificial flavors, synthetics or preservatives) to make their refreshing flavors. Plus, the gum is biodegradable and made in the USA.  

This gum is a bit to get used to. Think 15 some nuggets loose in each box.  On the side of the box you’ll find some petite papers (also biodegradable) you can use to wrap up your gum to before transferring it to the waste bin.   

If you have never used natural-based gums before, it might be good to prep your expectations: without the synthetic rubber bases, the natural chicle base will likely have a much softer fluid texture then you’re used to.  Also, be prepared for the gum to lose it’s flavor faster (which may or may not be a plus if your grandmum still thinks chewing gum in public places for hours on end is a social no-go).

What we Love About it: My favorite Simply Gum flavor has to be the fennel licorice the flavor, it’s by far the strongest and lasts a long time. The ginger also has a sweet subtle note. But I usually pop one or two pieces to satisfy my tastebuds.

Simply Gum Ingredients: organic raw cane sugar, natural chicle base (chicle, candelilla wax, citric acid), natural flavor, organic vegetable glycerin, organic rice flour 

XOXO,

Lemon

Good for You - What you see is what you get with this gum and I adore it! Especially because Simply Gum uses all natural chicle. So you can breath (or rather chew) easy knowing that there isn't polyvinyl acetate hiding in the "gum base" catch-all terminology).  We've do have our fingers crossed on seeing a bit more ingredient sourcing info sometime in the future.

Good for Others - Neutral. 

C&C Overall -  This gum is as clean as it gets and I get a bit of a thrill every time I pop these little brown nuggets after a meal. The unique flavors are also a big plus.  I just wish there was some way for the flavor to last just a tad bit longer. 

Good for Earth - When Simply Gum first launched on Kickstarter it described 100% recyclable packaging, but for some reason on their current website I can't seem to find the specifics about that. I've reached out to them to find out more, but in the meantime here's my score.