The Heartburn Study
4 AM. Your throat's on fire. Again.
Thousands of women our age write this every week. Then a reflux study found something nobody at the pharmacy mentions: your body already makes an antacid.
Real resin. Real tin.
Her words
Sound familiar?
"I have to eat before 6pm, any later and I get Acid Reflux and it's horrid."
"I would take a whole big box of Rennies per week!"
Real posts on Gransnet. Usernames withheld.
Eat early. No wine. Prop up the pillows. Chalky tablets in every handbag.
We call it 'just our age now.'
The study
Then I found a study.
Researchers fed 31 people a meal made to set off heartburn. They ate it twice. Once, they chewed gum for half an hour after. The time acid sat in their food pipe dropped by more than a third.
Moazzez, Bartlett, Anggiansah. J Dent Res 2005;84(11):1062-5. PMID 16246942.
The study used regular sugar-free gum, not mastic.
Why it works
Your body already makes an antacid. It's your saliva.
The New England Journal of Medicine showed how: saliva washes down and neutralizes the acid left in your food pipe. Take the saliva away, and the acid just sits there.
Helm et al., N Engl J Med 1984;310(5):284-8. PMID 6690951.
Chewing turns that tap on. It can boost saliva 10 to 12 times.
American Dental Association, Chewing Gum.
What we chew
And we've been chewing chalky tablets instead.
Or sweetened gum base that goes soft in a minute.
| Regular gum | Mastic resin | |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | Gum base made in a factory | Real tree resin |
| Sugar | Often sweetened | None (Classic) |
| Texture | Goes soft fast | Firm, so you keep chewing |
| History | A modern invention | Chewed for thousands of years |
The discovery
So I looked into what clinicians chew themselves.
One thing kept coming up.
Mastic resin.
It comes from one island in Greece. Growers score the trees by hand and the resin hardens into pale little tears.
Why mastic for this
One ingredient. No sugar. Firm, not soft gum base.
So you keep chewing, and the saliva keeps coming.
Your own antacid, on tap, after every meal.
Try the Classic tinShips same or next day.Tonight
Here's what I'd do.
Have dinner at eight again. Tonight, after dinner, open this little tin.
This is one of those things that once you try, you won't go back.
The Classic Pack
Real mastic resin from one island in Greece. Hand-packed in Pennsylvania.
- Up to $25 off your first box
- Cancel anytime
- Ships same or next day
Questions
Before you try it
What is mastic resin?
A natural tree resin from one island in Greece. Growers score the bark by hand, and the resin hardens into small pale tears. People there have chewed it for thousands of years.
How is it different from regular gum?
Regular gum is a sweetened gum base that goes soft fast. Mastic is firm, so you keep chewing, and the saliva keeps coming. The Classic is one ingredient with no sugar.
Do I stop my heartburn medicine?
No. Keep taking what your doctor prescribed. This is something to chew after meals, not a medicine. If heartburn is frequent or severe, talk to your doctor.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Cancel anytime.
When will it ship?
Same or next day.
Is it for everyone?
Not for people with dental work. If you have crowns, bridges, implants, braces or dentures, skip this one.
How do I chew it?
Take one piece after dinner. Let it soften in your mouth for about 30 seconds, then chew slow and it comes together into a firm chew.
Four a.m. should be for sleeping.
Try the Classic tinUp to $25 off your first box. Cancel anytime.Not for people with dental work.
Sources:
- Moazzez R, Bartlett D, Anggiansah A. The effect of chewing sugar-free gum on gastro-oesophageal reflux. J Dent Res. 2005;84(11):1062-5. PMID 16246942.
- Helm JF, Dodds WJ, Pelc LR, et al. Effect of esophageal emptying and saliva on clearance of acid from the esophagus. N Engl J Med. 1984;310(5):284-8. PMID 6690951.
- American Dental Association, Oral Health Topics: Chewing Gum.
- Gransnet forum thread 1345199, page 2. Quotes verbatim, usernames withheld.
The heartburn study used sugar-free gum, not mastic. Research is on chewing and saliva, not on Gum of Gods specifically. Offer terms shown at checkout.