Gut checking a gum claim

By now, you’ve surely heard of looksmaxxing, the appearance-obsessed online trend, but what about mewing? Named for largely discredited London-area orthodontists John and Mike Mew, the movement attracts devotees obsessed with achieving a chiseled jawline. The duo’s approach often involves exercises or chewing mastic gum, a resin from a tree traditionally found on the Greek island of Chios. While social media influencers and marketers suggest these habits provide a resistance-training workout and a quick path to a more defined facial structure, the science tells a different story. Mastic gum won’t turn your jaw into granite, but it does have legitimate utility. It’s an antibacterial agent for oral health. Tyler Santora faces the facts for SN.

🏛️ Ancient wisdom or myth?

The Greeks have masticated mastic since antiquity. The resin contains natural compounds that may have health benefits. Studies of people who consumed concentrated versions of molecules from the mastic tree suggest that these compounds can target Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for many gastric ulcers. Chewing mastic itself can help maintain oral hygiene by reducing plaque and inhibiting the growth of bacteria that are harmful or cause bad breath. While the ancient Greeks used mastic for stomach upset (looking at you, Hippocrates), modern studies are beginning to validate its traditional applications, even if it lacks the power to reengineer your facial bones.