We’ve always talked about how your face also deserves that fitness treatment to give some extra definition to your jaw and facial features. Today, there’s so many options available, all catering to different needs and making it less demanding to add a workout for your face. One of them is the act of mastication! (in simple words we just meant it’s chewing)

Chewing gum is a great technique to give some work to the muscles in your face and neck. Just like any other exercise, it’s extremely crucial that you don’t make things counterproductive by overexerting yourself. If you’re looking at taking up chewing as an exercise, you would eventually notice that it does play a part in reducing the appearance of jowls and getting you to have a much more defined jawline. 

But we all know that regular sugar sweetened gum is not strong enough to give your muscles a great workout. Simply because, regular gums don’t have a very strong resistance to your bite. Hence, it’s necessary to have a tool or a chewing gum that has good durability. This just helps you get faster results. If you’re that percent in the crowd that prefers natural methods, the mastic gum is a great natural alternative to switch towards. It’s much more effective than chewing ordinary gum and you can work on chewing your way to a defined jawline. 

But What Exactly Is Mastic Gum?

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since the dawn of humankind. That’s probably why the age-old practice of growing medicinal plants at home hasn’t died and is very much trending even today. 

One such plant that’s studied and understood for its health benefits is the Mastic Shrub (Pistacia lentiscus). The gum made naturally from the resin of this shrub is known as mastic gum. Resin is simply the fluid extracted when the bark of the mastic shrub is slit. 

This gum comes all the way from an island in Greece named Chios. Growing it with other herbs at home is surely an idea we can eliminate. Simply because Chios is the only island where it’s cultivated. But don’t worry, it’s easily found online, shipped internationally and will reach your home.

The resin when extracted takes the shape of a drop of tear and hence is also called ‘tears of Chios’. The word mastic is Greek and the English source of the word is ‘masticate’, which means to chew, munch or chomp! The word itself gives away the exact purpose of this gum. You must also know that chewing on a mastic gum doesn’t just work on exercising your face muscles, but treats a number of health concerns too.

See also: Does Chewing Gum Help Jawline?

Healing Properties Of Chewing Mastic Gum

When you chew on the mastic gum you’re bathing your teeth with it’s healing properties. The gum is mainly used to solve digestive issues when your stomach is acting up because of acidity in particular. The gum has worked as a natural remedy for soothing dental aches, gastrointestinal issues, stomach inflammation since Greek times.

This makes one thing clear, this is no ordinary gum but while you chew on this gum your body would fight internal issues like acid reflux, indigestion and fungal infections. This gum not only possesses health benefits but is also much more durable than ordinary gum. 

We’d also like to mention that this gum works perfectly to provoke your jaw muscles to move more than they normally do because it’s physically harder than ordinary gum. It’s the simple logic that the more resistance your gum has to your bite the better it works.

The taste of mastic gum may seem bitter and you might even find it a bit too hard to bite into at first. A little like thigh pain after a run. Once your muscles get used to it, it gets easier and you’re left with a refreshing feeling in your mouth. Just like a mouthwash, it leaves your breath in a better condition. It’s able to reduce the acidity and bacteria from your mouth with it’s antiseptic properties. 

Should You Get Mastic Gum For Your Jawline?

Chewing mastic gum would be an easy activity to include in your everyday lifestyle. You don’t have to vigorously chew but slowly increase the pace so you’re able to strengthen your jaw muscles and ultimately work towards a more defined jawline.

We’d say you can consider taking this road because it’s so easy to do other tasks with a gum in your mouth. You don’t need to specifically get ready or leave a task you’re doing, but it’s just about popping that gum and chewing on it while you type, read or do your chores.

This gum has plant-derived substances, no chemicals, no sugar. We also see it being cost-effective. A pack of mastic gum would cost approximately $20 to $30. However, like we’ve said the gum has medicinal properties, so paying attention to the quantity you intake is a must. We’d highly recommend consulting your doctor and deciding on the quantity you should start out with.

If you’re uncomfortable with trying tools that are specifically built for strengthening jaw muscles, you can surely look at alternatives like chewing mastic gum, mewing or doing simple face exercises daily. It all depends on your personal preference, the options are plenty.

Considering all things said, it’s not always straightforward when it comes to exercise. Chewing gum is not enough to get a defined jawline. Just remember that having meals on time, getting enough sleep must also get the same importance. The most effective approach to take is full body health and fitness. It’s all about doing that little upcycling for yourself too!

See also: Best Chewing Gum For Jawline