Chewing gum as a health food? Apparently so... USA Today has reported that the Wrigley company has convinced the American Dental Association that chewing gum (the sugarless variety, of course) can help fight cavities. And so Wrigley's sugar-free Orbit, Extra, and Eclipse gums will receive the much-desired ADA seal (the same one that appears on toothpaste, I'd assume).
Apparently studies conducted by Wrigley have shown that gum chewing can help reduce cavities by strengthening gums and stimulating extra saliva, which helps to reduce acids that can cause plaque.
Wrigley's products are the first chewing gums to get the seal, which notes its role in providing benefits to oral health.
Besides the inherent controversy over one manufacturer convincing the ADA to award its seal, it's been noted that the ADA charges fees to defray the cost of the ADA seal program. Wrigley has paid $12,000 for each of the three gums to submit them to the ADA for consideration, and the company will also pay a $2,500 yearly "maintenance" fee to use the seal.
No comments:
Post a Comment