Gum vs. mints: Which is healthier for you? There is a clear winner, experts say

For a hit of  at any time of day, a stick of gum or a breath mint will do the trick. But which is better for you? There is a clear winner here, according to both a dietitian and a dentist.

Theresa Gentile, a registered dietitian, tells TODAY.com that many of her clients eat gum and mints. "I'll even suggest it as a behavioral technique," says Gentile, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.

For instance, gum is an obvious choice for her clients who want to engage in chewing behavior but aren't necessarily satisfying a hunger cue. "Some people do just want to eat something, and that helps and it can last a while," she explains.

Chewing gum may also be a better choice than eating mints for your oral health, Dr. Matthew Messina, dentist and consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association, tells TODAY.com. That chewing behavior can stimulate saliva and wash it around your teeth, which helps fight the effects of acid on tooth enamel.

But there's one major caveat: Both experts encourage you to opt for sugar-free gum whenever possible.

Gum vs. mints for oral health

There are a few good reasons dentists recommend people chew sugar-free gum over other options, Messina says, and they all come down to the way cavities form.

"Teeth are covered with a hard mineral outer shell called tooth enamel, and that's the part of the tooth that we see," he explains.

When we eat sugary foods, the bacteria that are naturally present in our mouths break that food down. As a byproduct of that process, the bacteria produce acid. "Acid dissolves tooth enamel, which weakens it and causes cavities," Messina says.

Keeping that in mind, chewing anything — including gum — helps us neutralize that acid by producing more saliva. "But if it's sugar chewing gum, then we're giving the bacteria more to work with," Messina says.

That's why he recommends his patients who chew gum opt for sugar-free products that carry the . These products will contain ingredients like xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol and aspartame.

"The other problem with mints is that, by their very nature, they're going to stick around in your mouth for a while," Messina says. So, if it's a sugar-containing mint, "we're kind of bathing our teeth in an acid bath," he says. "This can be a serious concern."

For patients with conditions like , who need to use mints or lozenges to help produce saliva, Messina will still recommend sugar-free products “so that we’re not feeding the bacteria sugars that are just going to lay around,” he explains.

However, sugar-free chewing gum is not a substitute for a tried-and-true oral health routine. That should consist of brushing your teeth twice a day with a , flossing or using a  at least once per day, sticking to a healthy diet  and seeing your dentist regularly, Messina says.

If you're not already a gum chewer, you don't need to add chewing gum to your dental routine just for the possible oral health benefits, he says.

Gum vs. mints nutrition

From a dietitian’s perspective, there are two main things to consider: the sugar in your gum or mints and how you’re using those items.

“We do recommend sugar-free gum,” Gentile says, both to avoid unnecessary calories and sugar in your day, and because gum containing sugar substitutes like xylitol can be .

That said, if you’re only having sugar-containing gum or mints occasionally, that’s not the biggest concern. “One piece of gum, with the amount of calories or sugar that might be in that piece, is not a very big deal,” Gentile says.

“But many pieces over the course of a day could add up,” she notes, adding that clients who eat mints frequently may not realize how quickly the habit amounts to hundreds of extra calories in a day.

On the other hand, gum and mints can be helpful for her clients who are managing their weight or looking for a “lateral behavioral change” to avoid mindless snacking, Gentile says.

The minty flavor can “quell the desire for a different flavor,” she explains, which may help people stay on track with their food plans. And the mechanical chewing and swallowing that comes with gum can be especially helpful for those folks, she says. Additionally, for people who’ve quit smoking, “chewing gum is something they’re they’re used to doing in that therapy,” Gentile says.

For these reasons, Gentile tends to recommend gum over mints, especially sugar-free gum.

But, she notes, some people may be , especially if they chew a large amount of that gum. “The only downside to these sugar alcohols is, if you eat too much, it can cause abdominal gas and a little bit of (bloating),” she says. 

“Some people are going to be more sensitive than others, but generally, you have to eat quite a few pieces to feel that negative gastrointestinal side effects,” Gentile explains.

So, is chewing gum or eating mints better for you?

The experts agree that, if you're choosing between gum and mints, you should opt for gum — preferably a sugar-free stick.

Chewing sugar-free gum can be helpful for your oral health, as well as for people looking to manage their weight, they say. But if you're not already someone who chews gum, you don't need to go out of your way to pick up the habit.

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