Chewing gum forms an ideal base as a dosage form for health-promoting ingredients and for maintaining good dental health.
Most attention is placed on the dental health of children, but what is often forgotten are the many benefits of dental health throughout life. Research suggests that periodontal disease may contribute to the development of heart disease and increase the risk of stroke. Periodontal disease can also pose a serious threat to people with diabetes or respiratory diseases.
Even if one does not enjoy perfect dental health in later years, there's much one can do to improve it. For instance, older adults can lower their risk of developing oral health disease by chewing a sugarless gum sweetened with the cavity fighter xylitol.
Dental benefits
The success of sugar-free mints and chewing gum products is in no small part due to the dental properties of polyols, especially xylitol. Xylitol is now a brand of its own and well regarded among dental health professionals globally.
Xylitol, a very special polyol, exhibits a unique combination of high solubility, sweetness and a very high negative heat of solution. These factors combine to produce a distinct cooling effect as xylitol dissolves, making it ideal for mouth refreshing products, such as mints and chewing gum.
Oral bacteria are unable to utilise xylitol as an energy or carbon source, so there is no acid production following consumption.
The oral and plaque pH remains neutral, demineralisation does not occur and therefore there is no caries formation. Oral bacteria do not adapt to utilise xylitol as an energy or carbon source, even following habitual consumption. Furthermore, xylitol inhibits the growth of streptococci, lactobacilli and candida and reduces the adhesion properties of streptococcus mutans.
Digestive health
Gums are not only used for dental health also for relief of mild digestive disorders - something that becomes more common as we age. Gum chewing can increase saliva quantity by 130%. Saliva is rich in oesophageal protective agents including epidermal growth factor, mucin, proteins and prostaglandin E2. A study found that chewing sugarless gum or walking after a meal can neutralise throat acid and relieve symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which can help neutralise and wash away the acid in your throat when swallowed. This approach worked better than walking and according to researchers, walking was found to be only mildly beneficial in reducing GERD. Researchers suggest that chewing gum after meals may provide relief for those who suffer from occasional heartburn, and chewing a gum that contains antacid may provide even more relief 1.
Chewing gum market
Chewing gum has become an innovative product, extending easily into the functional sector. This has benefited from the introduction of the tooth-care sugar substitute xylitol, the use of which is now commonplace. There have also been a number of more unusual gum launches, including analgesic gum, gums to improve the skin, cholesterol-lowering and stress-relief gums, antacid gums, and decongestant gums. However, these all remain niche products at this time.
In the UK, recent examples have included Orbit Professional from Wrigley (containing xylitol and blue microgranules which leave the mouth with the feeling that the teeth have just been cleaned), and in Denmark, Stimorol V6 White has an advanced whitening formula and protects the teeth from discolouration.
In the Italian market, Perfetti Van Melle has been successful with Daygum Microtech, a chewing gum that contains microparticles for removing plaque during the day and has captured up to 10% of the overall market. Other notable functional lines from the same company include Happydent White (a sugar-free gum that whitens the teeth), Happydent Defensive (which helps impede the formulation of tartar), Air Action Vigorsol, and Daygum Protex, which contains xylitol and fluoride. In Belgium, Delhaize Le Lion brought out Structuur Calcium, Zuiverend Groene Thee and Vitaliteit Vit ACE in the first quarter of 2003.
These own-label chewing gums were fortified with active ingredients for health. Structuur Calcium was enriched with calcium to ensure healthy bones, while Zuiverend Groene Thee was described as a cleansing gum containing green tea. Vitaliteit Vit ACE has a novel flavour (orange and carrot) and contains antioxidant vitamins A, C and E.
Within the last few years, gums with added calcium and caffeine have been launched in Germany, as well as a product containing hemp extract. In August 2002, French manufacturer Phyto-Gum launched Orange-Gum, a plant-based chewing gum with added vitamin C, while Dirol AeroEffect (a sugar-free chewing gum comprising propolis, aspartame and acesulfame-K) appeared in Russia soon afterward. The trend toward sugar-free and functional chewing gum is also apparent in Latin American countries, especially Mexico and Chile.
Other confectionery
Although not seeing the same high profile growth as the chewing gum sector, innovation in the sugar confectionery market has been high in recent years. Many lines are now offering health benefits, such as breath freshening, and are thereby contributing toward overall growth in the functional confectionery market.
Throughout Europe, sugar confectionery is starting to incorporate more unusual ingredients such as ginseng, guarana and camomile, offering benefits such as aiding relaxation and cardiovascular health. In addition, many lines are now fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Many more health benefits could be offered in the form of confectionery that could help prevent diseases that occur later in life.
Glycaemic effects
At first sight, glycaemic effects would appear medical, but in fact it is a simple idea about moderating blood sugar levels. The Glycaemic Index (GI) of foods has been developed as a concept and has been measured in foods for over 20 years. This approach to food and diet has been proven to be beneficial for normal healthy people as well as those suffering from impaired glucose tolerance, such as type II diabetics.
The GI of foods is simply a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. To make a fair comparison, all foods are compared with a reference food such as pure glucose. This allows the consumer to choose the products that will help control their glycaemic responses to foods and thereby improve their health and reduce their long term disease risk.
Many of Danisco Sweeteners ingredients have been shown to have a low glycaemic response.
Fibre and prebiotics
Japan was one of the first countries to look at adding fibre to foods and beverages and this trend has spread to the rest of the world, where the fibre intake is much lower than the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of 30g per day. Ingesting fibre can prevent constipation, hypertension, growth of intestinal pathogens, and has even been linked to the prevention of obesity, cancer, heart disease and diabetes2. Soluble and insoluble dietary fibre offer several physiological benefits, including laxation (faecal bulking, decreased transit time, etc), blood glucose and cholesterol/lipid atten- uation, short chain fatty acid production, prebiotic effects and increased mineral
absorption.
Litesse (polydextrose) is a soluble fibre with the lowest calorific value at 1kcal/g making it very advantageous for use in low calorie confectionery.
Summary
The confectionery sector lends itself more readily to developing products with fibre fortification and low GI than chewing gum. This is due to the greater weight of these products compared to chewing gum. Products such as hard candy may be the perfect way to top up on your daily fibre requirements. As we age we tend to eat less - making fibre even more important to our health.
Finally, it is the consumer who will make their purchase choices based on their particular needs and preferences, but the functional confectionery sector remains a largely untapped market.
References
1. MSN News, November 17, 2003.
2. Trowell H.J. et al, Dietary fibres, dietary fibre reduced foods and disease.
Academic Press (1985).
Chewing gum and confectionery as an aid to health and disease prevention as we age may at first seem hard to believe. Geoff O'Sullivan, applications manager of Danisco Sweeteners Ltd, shows how functional confectionery has grown significantly over the last few years and more growth is expected, especially in gum.
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