People have been chewing gum since the ancient Greeks peeled bark from mastic trees and used it as a breath sweetener. Today, the sticky stuff is consumed for so many more reasons—to try to stave off hunger, deliver nicotine or simply provide diversion. But is smacking on a wad of gum actually harmful to the body? J. Sumner Bell, secretary-treasurer of the American Gastroenterological Association, offers an opinion.

—Heidi Mitchell

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