Chewing gum from THIS food might fight the world’s worst viruses
Chewing gum from THIS food might fight the world’s worst viruses
The discovery that gum manufactured from beans may fight some of the world’s most harmful infections was surprising but brilliant.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and Finnish scientists developed a plant-based antiviral chewing gum that reduces oral viral presence by over 95%. Key ingredient? Lablab bean protein FRIL captures and neutralizes viruses before they spread.
Under Professor Henry Daniell, the gum was tested against four important viruses: HSV-1 and HSV-2, H1N1, and H3N2. Amazingly, one gum with 40 milligrams of FRIL lowered oral viral load to practically undetectable levels.
A piece of gum may halt viral transmission.
Previous studies on COVID-19 showed comparable results, as reported in Molecular Therapy. The gum meets U.S. FDA safety standards, making it a viable human trial candidate.
Applications go beyond gum. In three months, avian flu has killed almost 54 million birds on North American poultry farms. The same bean-based protein is being studied as a cure. The protein in bird feed may protect animals and people against infection, according to Daniell’s research.
The simplicity of this innovation makes it timely. Traditional medicines and vaccinations require months or years to develop. This gum is safe, scalable, and cost-effective, making it a viable first line of defense in future epidemics.
Chewing gum may be enough to combat pandemics.
The promise is clear, but additional research and clinical trials are required. This basic bean-based discovery may be the surprise hero science was looking for in a world plagued with COVID-19, herpes, influenza, and H5N1.
Clean breath, powerful defense—chew well.
