The Story of The Vitamin K Gum, and a Few Other Notable Mentions

I don’t remember the circumstances by which I came across this story but in hindsight, I’m glad that I did as it turned out to be a good example of how cheap and effective products are memoryholed because of competing interests. A study published in 1945 demonstrated the effect of synthetic vitamin K3 gum (menadione) on the occurrence of dental cavities. This study was based on the prior observation that menadione when added to a saliva-glucose solution, prevented acid formation. Fosdick had found that menadione blunted acid production in carious lesions by acting as an enzyme inhibitor, but in its absence, the acidity of the lesions went from a pH of 6.8 to a pH of 4 in as little as three minutes. (Fosdick et al., 1942).

The 1945 study spanned over an 18-month period, where participants chewed a vitamin K and calcium carbonate gum for 10 minutes immediately after their meals. Each gum pellet contained 0.75 mg of vitamin K3. The vitamin K + calcium carbonate gum reduced the occurrence of new cavities by 60 to 90%. Additionally, the gum containing only calcium carbonate reduced the occurrence of new cavities by 33 to 80%. The fortified gums, however, did not halt the progress of tooth decay in cases where it was already present. No negative symptoms were observed over the 18 months. (Burrill et al., 1945). Georgi had recently posted on Twitter about menadione being an effective mitochondrial uncoupler (which I did not know), and it clicked that it’s through its uncoupling action that lactic acid is reduced and tooth decay is prevented. Vitamin K1 and K2 do not exhibit these uncoupling properties, however, they shuttle calcium into the bones/teeth which helps to preserve their integrity.

I was curious if there had been any sort of follow-up from gum manufacturers who wanted to create and market this product to the public and ended up finding a few interesting newspaper excerpts. The famous Wrigley company was one of the sponsors for the study (several other companies showed interest as well), however, the idea of selling vitamin K-infused gum did not sit well with the FDA so the project was eventually abandoned.

In the spirit of searching for vitamin-infused gums, it turns out Orbit manufactured Vitamin D gum back in 1934, and each stick contained 15 IUs of the vitamin. Not much else is known. Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption and has protective effects on the gums so chewing it makes sense.

I haven’t seen very much talk about aspirin gum anywhere, so I figured I’d mention it here. Chewing gum that contained aspirin was first created in 1924, the most famous of which was Aspergum. It was used as an analgesic to treat sore throats, muscular stiffness, pain after tonsillectomies, and pretty much everything that aspirin has traditionally been used for. Something must be said about the nonchalant nature of chewing gum that simultaneously relaxes you into a calm alert state. I think one of the reasons why people take to the Rusty character in the Ocean’s movie series, for example, is because he is snacking in nearly every scene which adds to his calm demeanor throughout the movies. Anyways, unfortunately, aspergum was discontinued in 2006.

I think the reintroduction of these gums to the market would increase the day-to-day quality for most people, and it is most unfortunate that instead, the public is given sugar-free sorbitol and soy lecithin gums with half a dozen other ingredients that do nothing but harm.

References

Burrill, D. Y., Calandra, J. C., Tilden, E. B., & Fosdick, L. S. (1945). The Effect of 2-Methyl-1,4-Naphthoquinone on the Incidence of Dental Caries. Journal of Dental Research, 24(6), 273–282. doi:10.1177/00220345450240060101

Fosdick, L. S., Fancher, O. E., & Calandra, J. C. (1942). The Effect Of Synthetic Vitamin K On The Rate Of Acid Formation In The Mouth. Science, 96(2480), 45–45. doi:10.1126/science.96.2480.45