These benefits of chewing gum fall into four categories: health, convenience, enjoyment and social interaction.
Health
Studies have shown that when people chew gum, their concentration and focus increase. Furthermore, the action of chewing gum has been demonstrated to significantly increase general oral hygiene due to the increased saliva flow when chewing, which helps clean the mouth. Finally, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic, chewing gum also supports weight management, by burning 11 calories per hour and by reducing snack intake between meals.
Convenience
Chewing gum clearly offers a more convenient alternative to media such as pills, since it can be taken anywhere, anytime and without water. In addition, the physical characteristics of a pack of chewing gum make it a small and very light product. It is ideal for enjoying on the go; it is very easy to carry around in a jacket pocket, for example. As consumer demands for convenience continue to grow, the functionality of chewing gum clearly makes it an option worth considering.
Enjoyment
Unlike many other delivery systems, chewing gum offers a unique sensory experience that appeals to the senses of taste, feeling and vision. This experience makes chewing gum a ‘fun’ alternative to traditional delivery systems for nutraceutical products. Thus, chewing gum serves the nutraceutical market as a more consumer-friendly choice, giving consumers the opportunity to enjoy the process of staying healthy.
Social interaction
Social interaction is widely regarded as a key concept today, and consequently it is definitely an advantage to have a product that facilitates such interaction. Chewing gum can be shared with family and friends, which means that consumption goes beyond the individual. In fact, a study completed by Mintel revealed that nearly half of all consumers share their chewing gum with friends and family. This benefit in itself has the advantage of increasing brand awareness and product sampling, and thus provides a useful means of recruiting new customers.
When these benefits are coupled with those of the specific active ingredients included in the product, dual-layered compressed gum is clearly a delivery system with many unique advantages over other delivery systems.