If You’re Going to Mars, Chew Silver Gum

The United Arab Emirates hopes to build the first city on Mars by 2117. If Franziska Apprich, Ph.D. has her way, travelers to the red planet will chew silver-imbedded gum during the trip.

Apprich serves as an assistant professor at Canadian University Dubai. In a partnership with a colleague at New York University, she created a product she has dubbed “UAE Space Gum.”

Wrapped in star-shaped silver packaging, the gum is formulated to boost immunity and fight infection. It contains natural gum, silver particles, date paste, honey, and vitamin C.

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Chewing gum can help relieve tension, which may be an issue for those taking a voyage into the unknown. It can also help maintain oral hygiene, which is a practical concern for space travelers. The gum is all natural, so that no harmful additives are absorbed into the system. The vitamin C provides support to the immune system in what will be an unknown environment, and the silver is used to treat bacteria in the mouth to prevent gum disease. Honey delivers an energy boost, while the date paste provides flavor, and of course, a tribute to the culture of the UAE.”

According to a report by the Silver Institute, Apprich recently met with UAE suppliers for her gum ingredients and hopes to present the silver gum to the UAE Space Agency to gauge their interest in bringing it into production.

Silver has long played an important role in the medical field. For centuries, people have used it as an antibacterial agent and to fight infections. Over the last few years, scientists have employed cutting-edge research techniques to study how exactly silver poisons pathogenic microbes.

Silver is already used to control bacteria in many clinical settings and in hundreds of antibacterial products. Corning has even developed a silver-based Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass that resists microbial growth. Gaining a deeper understanding of silver’s antimicrobial properties will help scientists make even better use of the white metal’s healing properties.

Reprinted from SchiffGold.com.