Is Doublemint Chewing Gum Healthy for You?

October 12, 2025 •

4 min read

According to nutrition data, a single stick of Wrigley's Doublemint gum contains 2 grams of sugar and about 10 calories. This raises the question: is Doublemint chewing gum healthy, or do its ingredients pose potential risks to your well-being?

Quick Summary

An in-depth look at Doublemint gum's ingredients reveals concerns related to its sugar content, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, and other additives. Regular consumption can impact dental and digestive health, jaw muscles, and overall wellness, contrasting with benefits of sugar-free alternatives.

Key Points

Sugary vs. Sugar-Free: Traditional Doublemint contains sugar, which contributes to tooth decay, while sugar-free versions use controversial artificial sweeteners.
Dental Health Risks: Regular consumption of sugary gum can cause cavities and enamel erosion, whereas sugar-free options can promote saliva production beneficial for oral health.
Controversial Additives: Both sugary and sugar-free Doublemint may contain questionable additives like BHT and titanium dioxide, banned in some regions due to health concerns.
Potential for Digestive Issues: The sugar alcohols in sugar-free gum can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea, especially for individuals with IBS.
Jaw Pain and Headaches: Excessive chewing, regardless of gum type, can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, jaw pain, and headaches.
Microplastic Exposure: Modern gum bases are often synthetic, and chewing can release microplastics that are ingested, with still-unknown long-term health consequences.
Moderation is Key: Infrequent chewing is generally harmless, but habitual consumption increases the risks associated with sugar, artificial sweeteners, and repetitive jaw motion.

The Doublemint Ingredients: A Closer Look

Unlike many modern sugar-free gums, classic Doublemint gum is made with sugar, which has significant implications for dental health. While the minty flavor provides a quick refresh, the underlying ingredients are key to determining its health profile. Common ingredients in Doublemint include sugar, gum base, dextrose, corn syrup, glycerin, and natural and artificial flavors. Some formulations also include artificial sweeteners like aspartame, depending on whether it is a sugar-free version.

Sugar and Your Dental Health

The most immediate health concern with traditional Doublemint is its sugar content. When you chew sugary gum, you are essentially bathing your teeth in sugar, which oral bacteria feed on. This process creates acids that erode tooth enamel, leading to plaque buildup and cavities over time. The American Dental Association, therefore, promotes chewing sugarless gum after meals to stimulate saliva flow, which helps wash away food particles and neutralize acids.

Potential Issues with Artificial Sweeteners

Some versions of Doublemint, specifically the sugar-free options, use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. While these prevent tooth decay, they come with their own set of controversies.

Aspartame: Classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a "possible carcinogen" in 2023, based on limited human evidence. However, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) maintains that the current acceptable daily intake is safe. Aspartame contains phenylalanine, a concern for individuals with the rare genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Excessive consumption is also linked to digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea.
Sugar Alcohols: Other sugar-free gums often contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol or xylitol. While generally non-cariogenic, these can cause digestive distress, including bloating and diarrhea, when consumed in large quantities.

The Impact of Other Additives

Beyond sweeteners, chewing gum can contain other additives with varying levels of safety concerns.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT): This antioxidant preservative has been shown to cause cancer in some animal studies, though human studies are inconclusive.
Titanium Dioxide: Used to whiten and add shine, this additive is now banned in food products in the EU due to potential DNA damage. Some studies also suggest it may harm the intestinal barrier and interfere with nutrient absorption.
Microplastics: Modern gums often contain synthetic polymers in their gum base. Research indicates that chewing can release microplastic particles into saliva, which are then ingested. The long-term health effects of microplastic ingestion are still under investigation, but initial studies link it to gut biome disruption and inflammation.

Comparison: Sugar-Free vs. Sugary Doublemint


Feature	Sugary Doublemint	Sugar-Free Doublemint	Health Benefit / Risk	Comment
Dental Health	High risk of cavities and enamel erosion due to sugar content.	Reduced risk of cavities due to lack of sugar.	Benefit for sugar-free.	The American Dental Association recommends sugar-free gum.
Caloric Content	Around 10 calories per stick.	Around 5 calories per stick.	Minimal difference.	Both are very low-calorie options.
Digestive Issues	Unlikely to cause issues directly related to sugar.	Potential for bloating, gas, or laxative effect from sugar alcohols (sorbitol).	Risk for sugar-free.	Excessive consumption of sugar-free gum can trigger symptoms, especially for those with IBS.
Additives	Contains artificial flavors, BHT, and other preservatives.	Contains artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K), BHT, and titanium dioxide.	Risk for both.	Both contain controversial additives, though some vary by region and formulation.
Artificial Sweeteners	N/A	Aspartame, a potential carcinogen, and Acesulfame K, with some safety concerns.	Risk for sugar-free.	Long-term effects of artificial sweeteners are still debated.

Non-Ingredient-Related Health Concerns

Beyond the chemicals and sugars, the physical act of chewing gum can also have health consequences.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain: Excessive and prolonged gum chewing can overuse the jaw muscles, leading to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), which causes jaw pain, clicking, and headaches.
Headaches: Regular gum chewing has been linked to triggering headaches, especially in adolescents prone to migraines.
Swallowing Air: Chewing gum can cause you to swallow excess air, which may contribute to gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort.

Conclusion: So, Is Doublemint Gum Healthy?

The answer depends heavily on the specific Doublemint product and your individual health profile. For regular, sugar-based Doublemint, the primary health concern is the high risk of tooth decay and enamel erosion from repeated exposure to sugar. For sugar-free Doublemint, the dental risk is mitigated, but potential issues arise from artificial sweeteners and other controversial additives like titanium dioxide. Excessive chewing of any gum can lead to jaw pain and digestive problems, while concerns about microplastic ingestion apply broadly to most modern gums.

Ultimately, a single stick of Doublemint gum is unlikely to cause serious harm. The risks are primarily associated with long-term, habitual consumption. To minimize negative impacts, choose a sugar-free version with natural sweeteners like xylitol, chew infrequently and for short durations, and maintain good overall oral hygiene. The idea that Doublemint gum is unequivocally "healthy" is a misconception that overlooks its sugar content and synthetic ingredients.

For more in-depth information on the health effects of chewing gum, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine provides valuable resources on oral health and sugar intake. [https://hsdm.harvard.edu/].

Sources

Healthline: Chewing Gum: Good or Bad?: Details pros and cons, ingredient information, and potential side effects of chewing gum.
Medical News Today: Chewing gum: Is it bad for you?: Discusses the effects of sugar vs. artificial sweeteners on teeth and general health.
Canadian Dental Association: Sugar-free Chewing Gum: Explains how sugar-free gum, especially with xylitol, can benefit oral health.
EWG News: Sticky situation: Harmful food chemicals in chewing gum: Reports on potentially harmful food chemicals and microplastics found in chewing gum.
WHO: Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released: Provides clarification on the safety and classification of aspartame.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, sugar-free Doublemint is healthier for your teeth. The American Dental Association recommends chewing sugarless gum after meals because it stimulates saliva flow, which helps neutralize acids and wash away food particles, protecting against cavities.

Yes, excessive or frequent chewing of any gum, including Doublemint, can lead to jaw problems. This overuse can cause or worsen temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, leading to pain, clicking, popping, and facial muscle fatigue.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many sugar-free products. While regulatory bodies like the FDA consider it safe in moderation, some research and a 2023 IARC classification have raised concerns about its potential health effects, including a possible link to cancer.

Most modern chewing gums, including Doublemint, use a synthetic gum base. Research indicates that chewing can release microplastic particles from this base, which are then ingested. The long-term health implications of this are not yet fully understood.

Some people may experience digestive problems from chewing gum, especially with sugar-free versions. The sugar alcohols like sorbitol found in these gums can have a laxative effect if consumed in large amounts, causing bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

The primary benefit of chewing sugar-free gum is improved dental hygiene through increased saliva flow. The act of chewing has also been associated with short-term improvements in focus and stress reduction, though the evidence is mixed.

Doublemint contains additives such as BHT (a controversial preservative) and titanium dioxide (a whitening agent now banned in food in the EU). While the amounts are generally considered low, some individuals may choose to avoid these ingredients due to ongoing safety debates and potential health risks.