Chewing gum is a quick, effective way to help your digestive health and combat acid reflux episodes. By chewing gum after a meal, you encourage more saliva production, which encourages more frequent swallowing. The more frequently you can swallow, the less likely your stomach contents are to flow back into your esophagus or your throat, and the more likely you are to safely digest those contents and keep your overall esophageal health protected.
And while historically that might have been your only benefit to using chewing gum regularly, now you can find some of the best anti-reflux gum options that work more as a preventative tool in helping stop that reflux from happening in the first place.
Topic Contents
Gums I’m Considering
While you can technically get away with chewing any type of gum to increase saliva and help with reflux, these are my top picks:
- Reflux Gourmet
- Underbrush
- Alka-Seltzer Heartburn Relief Gum
- RevGum
- Therabreath
My top pick though is Reflux Gourmet, as it is the only anti-reflex gum designed by doctors specifically for acid reflux, not just as an aid in bicarbonate production from your saliva, but as a preventative measure that relies on alginates.
1. Reflux Gourmet
Reflux Gourmet is the only company that currently produces an anti reflux gum option that is intended for stopping acid reflux before it happens.
This is a very critical point that puts Reflux Gourmet at the top of my list; all other chewing gums are designed to help soothe the symptoms or the irritation by increasing saliva production but the main ingredient in Reflux Gourmet actually stops the acid reflux from happening in the first place.
How?
It uses alginates, a commonly used derivative of seaweed, historically prescribed to help with GERD relief.
These alginates create a gel that sits on top of your stomach contents, so when you might experience an acid reflux episode, the alginates from the gum create a sort of raft or barrier that physically blocks your stomach contents from getting through into your esophagus.
This means you aren’t just increasing saliva to try and push everything back down, but you are also preventing stomach acid from creeping up from the get-go.
More than that, If you experience a lot of acid reflux, you know how painful it can be on your esophagus, especially with additional inflammation. The gum is also made with aloe vera, which helps as a natural anti-inflammatory for your esophagus. The added sodium bicarbonate works similarly to the key ingredients in all of the other gums on this list by buffering your stomach acid and neutralizing it. It comes in berry and tropical flavors, which is great, since mint and cinnamon can sometimes exacerbate reflux symptoms for some people.
Where other options on this list might work as an anti-reflux gum option, Reflux Gourmet is the only one designed intentionally for anti-reflux support.
Who Should Consider It:
People who want a gum that is designed by scientists specifically for reflux relief.
Potential Issues:
Not really any, other than the fact that there are currently only two flavor options. You’re going to experience a lot of relief in a way that other gums simply can’t match.
2. Underbrush
This company is one of the first gum manufacturers to produce a remineralizing chewing gum. While not directly designed as an anti-reflux gum option it is still on my list because anyone with severe acid reflux knows how damaging stomach acid can be to the teeth.
This gum naturally kills bacteria and remineralizes your teeth, helping to overcome potential damage caused by stomach acid.
In addition to helping remineralize your teeth, it comes in three flavor options: cinnamon, mint, and berry. Like all gum, regular use of this chewing gum can help encourage better saliva production, which can reduce the severity of certain reflux symptoms.
Who Should Consider It:
Those who are concerned about tooth decay and want to remineralize their teeth while also fighting acid reflux.
Potential Issues:
The flavor doesn’t last very long. There have also been several reports online of scammers pretending to sell this gum and instead selling a knock-off version, so make sure you get it from a reputable site.
3. Alka-Seltzer Heartburn Relief Gum
This gum uses calcium carbonate to work as an antacid. It comes from a very reputable company (I’m guessing you’ve heard of them) known for their anti-reflux medications and other products. The gum helps with acid indigestion, upset stomach, and heartburn.
It has sorbitol as well as magnesium, both of which can be very useful in treating constipation, so that is something to be aware of. The main flavor is peppermint and studies have shown that peppermint oil can be very useful as an anti-reflux gum option but, there are individual cases where people react very poorly to peppermint oil so if you are one of them, this might not be a good gum for you.
Who Should Consider It:
Those who want a natural gum with bicarbonate as the main ingredient to help with anti reflux or acid indigestion concerns.
Potential Issues:
Potential issues here are that this brand doesn’t sell the gum directly anymore from their website so if you want it, you have to find it from local grocery stores that still keep it in stock. It also works better as symptom relief rather than as a preventative measure like Reflux Gourmet.
4. RevGum
This gum is designed to provide energy and hydration, and while that is its main purpose, it also helps with reflux problems. It’s infused with electrolytes to help boost energy, which can also help increase saliva.
They claim that 97% of users have improved hydration when they chew the gum after physical activities, with the same number saying they have improved physical performance and energy afterward. So, if acid reflux is something that you are trying to control but at the same time you are looking for a gum that can boost your hydration and energy, this is a great option.
It’s also comes in a few unique flavors compared to most chewing gum, including a watermelon flavor that is surprisingly delicious. This (along with their berry flavor) can be really good for anyone who has adverse reactions to cinnamon oil or peppermint oil in association with reflux problems.
Who Should Consider It:
People who want to stop reflux and also boost muscle growth and magnesium. This makes it better for those who are athletes or weightlifters.
Potential Issues:
The main sweeteners are xylitol and sorbitol. Sorbitol is actually a laxative; it works by drawing water into your large intestine which is where the gum gets its hydration claims, but it can also lead to issues beyond acid reflux if you use it too often. Ever read those stories about the sugar-free gummybears? That was sorbitol.
5. Therabreath
Therabreath is a somewhat more common chewing gum. It is not designed specifically to help with acid reflux problems or to combat reflux issues, but it is a certified gluten-free, certified vegan, and certified Halal chewing gum that doesn’t have unwanted ingredients like aspartame or dyes and colors.
Moreover, it is generated by a company that’s known for its top of the line mouthwashes, toothpaste, and lozenges. Despite the fact that it isn’t designed intentionally to be an anti-reflux gum option, it works very well as one and you can get citrus mint flavors or traditional mint flavors to help you after your meals.
Who Should Consider It:
Anyone who wants a basic chewing gum that has good potency, no added sugars or aspartame, and is gluten-free, halal, and vegan.
Potential Issues:
It is only available in mint flavor, and for some people with acid reflux, peppermint oils can exacerbate symptoms so if that’s you, consider a different option.
Top Pick
There are a lot of good chewing gums that can help you control the severity of an acid reflux episode, but there is only one that works in a unique way to form a natural, gel-based layer on top of your stomach contents and prevent them from moving back into your esophagus in the first place.
With Reflux Gourmet, you get the only gum on the market that is designed intentionally by doctors as an anti-reflux gum, one that has key ingredients like aloe vera to reduce inflammation in your esophagus, ginger and celery root to promote digestive health, and sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the stomach acid.
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