Fun Facts about Bubblegum

Bubble gum has and always will be one of the funnest candies you can play with. Every child remembers the first time they managed to successfully blow a bubble and most adults still blow bubbles absentmindedly today. Gum is a staple in the majority of people’s lives. You carry it in your purse or your pocket and always end up sharing it with friends and family. You probably don’t even think much about it most days, but you wouldn’t want to live life without it. In honour of our childhoods and adulthoods, here are some fun facts about bubble gum that you probably didn’t know!

1. Did you know chewing gum and bubble gum are different?!
   
   Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance typically made of a gum base designed to be chewed and not swallowed. It’s even been around since early civilizations (although they used natural growth like birch tar or sap). In contrast, bubblegum is a much more recent invention! While actually a type of chewing gum, bubble gum is specifically designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. It was invented in 1928 when Walter Diemer accidentally made a less sticky chewing gum that could be blown into bubbles. So if you want to blow bubbles, make sure you get bubble gum, not chewing gum.
   
   
2. Rain-blo was the first gum to have their colour match their flavour!
   
   Well it might be something we take for granted today, most gum flavours did not match their colour originally! Typically bubblegum was pink because it was the only colour that Dubble Bubble (the original Bubblegum) had readily available at the factory and it just became the standard from then on. That is until 1940 when Rain-Blo decided to have the colour on the outside match the flavor on the inside. Their gum has been orange, red, yellow, green and dark purple inside and out from then on proving that blowing bubbles doesn’t need to be pink.
   
   
3. There’s Two Record Holders for the Biggest Bubble!
   
   In 1996, Susan Montgomery Williams set the record for the largest bubble blown at 23” in diameter while using her hands to assist the bubble from sagging and popping. While her record still stands, Chad Fell broke the Guinness World Record for the largest hands free bubble at 20” in diameter in 2004. Both records are incredibly impressive. Do you think you can blow a bigger bubble?
   
   
4. Bubble gum will not stay in your stomach for 7 years!
   
   The myth of gum staying in your stomach for 7 years was probably started because gum can’t be digested and broken down in your stomach. However, don’t worry, your body will safely move the gum through your system allowing you to pass it. Now swallowing large amounts of gum can cause blockage, which is why while swallowing gum is relatively safe, it’s still discouraged.
   
   
5. Chewing gum can help you concentrate!
   
   When you chew gum you become more alert and are better able to focus on the activities you are working on! Additionally your muscle tension also reduces. Need to focus? Start chewing.
   
   
6. The total number of gum flavours is in the millions!
   
   We all know the common flavours like the original “bubblegum”, orange, lemon, peppermint, etc. But have you ever thought about how many different flavours there actually are? Since each company has their own proprietary mix of flavours and because they use many different chemicals to achieve their flavours, technically no two bubblegum flavours between companies are the same. This leaves the number of flavours in the millions! In addition to the more regular flavours, some have even come up with limited edition flavours such as Thanksgiving flavour, pickle flavour and soap!