Chios Mastic Gum for the Stomach

Greek island of Chios — mastic tears chewed as a digestive for some 3,000 years (UNESCO intangible heritage, 2014)

Evidence: Low–moderate — double-blind placebo-controlled trial (n=148)

Illustration: Chios mastic resin tears (Pistacia lentiscus)

Illustration: Mastic tree

What it is and what it is used for

The resin tears of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus var. chia), chewed for functional dyspepsia — stomach pain, fullness, and discomfort with no ulcer or other structural cause. In a 2010 trial (n=148), 350 mg of mastic three times daily for three weeks improved symptoms in 77% of patients versus 40% on placebo (p<0.02).

Safety and disclaimers

Recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Chew one tear (about 350 mg) slowly until it softens into a gum.
  2. Continue chewing for 10–15 minutes, then discard or swallow the softened resin.

Dosage / directions: One tear, three times daily — the trial dose was 350 mg three times daily for 3 weeks.

Folk history

Mastic is one of the oldest traded resins in the world — the tears of lentisk trees grown almost only on the Greek island of Chios, where families have 'wept' the trees for three millennia. Chewing mastic sweetened the breath of Ottoman harems and settled the stomachs of sailors. UNESCO recognized the culture of mastic cultivation as intangible world heritage in 2014.

Scientific references