Gum
Gum Disease Treatments Chewing gum has been around since prehistoric times, and its origins are uncertain. However, scientists have concluded that the origin of modern-day gum was actually in ancient India. Archaeologists have discovered evidence that ancient Indian people chewed on certain types of molds, which would have been a type of resinous substance made from natural gum resins. This would have been much like chewing on raw walnut shells today. Ancient Indians would also dip their tongues in hot water, which would yield a kind of mint flavor, similar to what we call minty. The earliest form of chewing gum was created from a resin from the chicle plant, as mentioned above. Chewing gums contain a substance called saponin and have a brown color. Chewing gums came into widespread use during the Medieval Times, when soldiers in armor made use of them to keep their teeth and mouths clean during combat. The gum served as a kind of oral rattle, allowing enemy soldiers ...