If you are a gum lover, you may be wondering if gum is considered to be candy. This is a commonly asked question that many people are confused about as they do not know if gum is considered to be a form of candy.
Many people may ask this question because the gum is usually found right next to the candy that is being sold. Making it seem as though gum is a part of candy, with just a few differences with how you consume it.
This is one of those products that is quite vague and does not necessarily have a category of its own wind being sold. Making it hard to understand exactly what gum is and what category it falls into when it comes to sellable products.
Keep reading to find out whether or not gum is considered to be candy and if gum is a healthier option than candy.
Gum Is Classed as Being Candy
If you often chew gum, you may be wondering if gum is candy or something else. The majority of people and companies do classify gum as being candy as it falls under the confectionery category when it comes to sweet items.
This is kind of a hard area to explain, as gum is definitely not exactly what candy is. As you only chew gum and do not actually consume it like you would a piece of candy.
Many people describe this as being the argument of whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. Obviously, the majority of people consume tomatoes as vegetables as they are prepared in savory ways.
Though a tomato is technically a fruit, though no one really looks at it that way. The same goes for gum, as it is technically considered to be in the candy category, but you do not eat gum the way you would candy.
Because gum falls under the candy category, you will often find gum being stocked next to the candy options. Such as in grocery stores or at the checkout aisle where there is a selection of candy, gum, and breath mints altogether.
The most important thing is for people to remember that gum is not exactly like candy even if it is under that category. The majority of gum cannot be swallowed as it is only meant to be chewed for a limited amount of time.
Though some companies have started to come out with gum that does dissolve.
Regular Gum
There are two categories of gum, the most prevalent being a regular gun that you will find in just about any kind of store. Regular gum is gum that is typically sweetened with artificial sweeteners or sugar to give it a nice sweet flavor.
This is very important as people expect gum that they buy to be sweet and pleasant to chew. Without some form of sweetener, artificial or real, gum would be very unpleasant, and no one would want to chew it.
With more and more people becoming health conscious, many companies have started to create gum with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Though it remains to be seen whether or not this is healthier to consume.
As these kinds of artificial sweeteners can often be just as unhealthy as sugar as they are unnatural options.
Sugar-Free Gum
The other category of gum that you will find in the majority of stores is sugar-free gum. This is gum that has often been sweetened with some form of sugar alternative that will not give you any added sugar to your diet.
Though these types of gum are often made with artificial sweeteners, some companies do try to find more natural options. There are plenty of sweetener alternatives that are not artificial and are considered to be much healthier than artificial sweeteners.
Some kinds of sugar-free gum are made with these kinds of sweeteners, making them healthier than regular gum that you would find in stores. Especially considering the fact that this gun will be in your mouth for a considerable amount of time.
Is Gum Healthier Than Candy?
Chewing gum is considered to be a relatively harmless thing to do when you compare it to eating candy. Most people would agree that candy is unhealthy when compared to gum as it is higher in sugar, and you are actually consuming it.
Though you will be consuming the sugar in gum that contains sugar, it will be a much smaller amount than actual candy. You are also much less likely to chew multiple pieces of gum like you would eat multiple pieces of candy.
There are also plenty of gum options that do not contain any actual sugar but an alternative sweetener instead. These are healthier options as you will not be consuming sugar, and it will not be coming into contact with your teeth.
Gum made with real sugar can be detrimental to your dental health as you will be repeatedly chewing this gum. Exposing your teeth to sugar, which can be quite harmful to the protective coating over your teeth, causing cavities.
Though gum is still considered to be healthier than candy even if it does contain real sugar as you will not be consuming as much sugar as you would in candy.
Can You Chew Gum Every Day?
Chewing gum every day is something that most people recommend against as it is not good for your teeth. This constant fighting down movement can start to wear out your teeth and corrode the protective enamel over your teeth.
This can lead to premature wearing on your teeth which shouldn’t happen for many years to come. It can also expose your teeth to bacteria and sugar that can enhance your risk of getting cavities.
Chewing gum all day can also start to wear on your jaw and cause jaw pain or headaches.
Final Thoughts
Gum is considered to be a form of candy as there is no other category that it fits into. The gum is considered to be healthier as it does not contain as much sugar and a variety of sugar-free gum is available.
Though gum is still not considered to be a healthy option that you can use every day as it wears on your teeth over time.
