Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

sciencedaily.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 65 posts

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#11

Post by MengerSponge »

mdasen wrote: post #8
wxw wrote: post #7

Tangentially related, apparently xylitol gum can reduce cavity risk by killing off bacteria (which cannot digest but cannot differentiate xylitol from regular sugar) in the mouth.

Xylitol is really cool that way. The bacteria waste energy trying to convert it to a form they can use, but they just end up with at a dead end with xylitol-5-phosphate. Once they realize that they need to get rid of it, they convert it back to xylitol (so it can cross the membrane easier and probably to keep the phosphate). Of course, that means the xylitol is back to fool some other nearby bacteria into wasting its…

In that way I'm like a bacteria. "Ah beans, gotta undo all this work"

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#13

Post by nomel »

dyauspitr wrote: post #6
stogot wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gum is often made of plastics so won’t be surprised if cancerous themselves

Hunh I always assumed it was just some kind of modified natural rubber but it’s literally plastic (PVAc, PIB) that release microplastics into the saliva.

Not all is, including the one mentioned in the article. There are many "natural" chewing gum brands, that use plant based gum. You can buy boxes Amazon, or usually find them in the candy aisle of higher end grocery stores. You're probably not going to find it in a gas station/convenient store.

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#14

Post by fsckboy »

grokcodec wrote: post #12

Not worth the time of day until it can be demonstrated that there is a net health benefit. Precautionary Principle FTW.

humans evolved to have risk seekers and risk avoiders. some people try it, the other people watch.

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#16

Post by skylurk »

fsckboy wrote: post #14
grokcodec wrote: post #12

Not worth the time of day until it can be demonstrated that there is a net health benefit. Precautionary Principle FTW.

humans evolved to have risk seekers and risk avoiders. some people try it, the other people watch.

we owe the dairy industry to this phenomena, and also a lot of fetishes

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#17

Post by code_biologist »

VladVladikoff wrote: post #9

I wonder if chewing mastic would be as effective?

I started chewing mastic gum a few years ago as a jaw-shape maintenance measure. An encouragement for anyone who's curious about it: I like the taste and stiff texture of mastic more than normal gum these days.

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#18

Post by spike021 »

wxw wrote: post #7

Tangentially related, apparently xylitol gum can reduce cavity risk by killing off bacteria (which cannot digest but cannot differentiate xylitol from regular sugar) in the mouth.

Just be careful around dogs and presumably other pets as it's toxic for them.

Re: Bioengineered chewing gum may offer a way to fight HPV and other microbes

#20

Post by hkt »

code_biologist wrote: post #17
VladVladikoff wrote: post #9

I wonder if chewing mastic would be as effective?

I started chewing mastic gum a few years ago as a jaw-shape maintenance measure. An encouragement for anyone who's curious about it: I like the taste and stiff texture of mastic more than normal gum these days.

Can you explain what you mean by a maintenance measure for your jaw shape? Is the idea.. a jaw workout?
Post reply on HN