Chewing Gum

You are what you chew -- that's what the crowded gum aisle seems to suggest. Spicy cinnamon sticks, spearmint pellets with whitening sparkles, explode-in-your-mouth strawberry-lime pillows: There's a flavor and form to suit every personality. Soon, gums may offer more than just tongue-tingling tastes and tooth-brightening properties. Scientists are probing for evidence that habitual chewing can make us healthier and more alert, not to mention thinner and better at remembering names.

The nation's largest dentist group now says chewing gum can be good for you, as long as it's sugar-free. The American Dental Assn. said it had awarded its seal of acceptance to Wrigley sugar-free gums Orbit, Extra and Eclipse -- based on studies funded at least partially by the maker of Wrigley gums, Chicago-based Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. It's the first time the ADA has allowed its seal to appear on gum, having cleared its use on thousands of products since 1930.

In a bid to resolve a sticky mess, a judge has decided that an Argentine company can continue making its sweet-tasting Bazooka gum even though its relationship with Topps Co., which made the brand famous, has long since soured. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. described not just the decades-long history of the companies but also the millenniums-old history of gum, stretching back to when the ancient Greeks chewed on a substance made from the resin of the mastic tree.

This weekend, Dubble Bubble holds its sixth annual competition to find that one person in the United States who blows 'em big -- chewing gum bubbles, that is. The former titleholder, 11-year-old Aina Cambridge of Lakewood, competed with 1 million other contestants and won her crown and prize money back in 2003. She blew a whopping 21-incher that landed her a space in the finals in New York held live on the "Today" show.

When the traffic is bumper-to-bumper, horns are blaring and the pain in your brain is driving you insane, don't sink your teeth into the red Mazda next to you--chew on Peace of Mind gum balls instead. The latest in a long line of stress-relief products from Origins, these gum balls contain a relaxing blend of essential oils, including peppermint, basil and eucalyptus, that are said to work together to release tension and freshen breath. Who can argue with that?