Chew on This: Scientists Made Gum That Blocks the Flu AND Herpes

Move Over Mints—This Gum Might Save Your Entire Immune System…

Okay, picture this: One minute you’re thriving, the next you’re wrapped in a blanket like a human burrito, your voice sounds like a dying kazoo, and you’re 98% tissues by volume. And of course, you’re blaming that one guy who sneezed in your direction last Tuesday. We’ve all been there.

But what if I told you that a stick of gum—yes, actual chewing gum—could’ve saved you and your entire friend group from descending into the flu-filled pit of doom?

Yep. Buckle up, because science just dropped something wild.

Researchers have created a gum that kills over 95% of flu and herpes viruses in your mouth before they can spread. We’re talking serious virus-blocking energy here. And the secret weapon? Not some fancy futuristic nanotech. Nope. It’s a protein from a bean. A bean, y’all.

Specifically, it’s from the lablab bean (great name), which grows in Africa and Australia and is now out here doing more for public health than most of us do for our own houseplants.

This bean-based protein acts like a microscopic bouncer at the club that is your mouth—trapping viruses in your saliva before they can escape via your cough, your chat, or your cheeky little kiss.

And it gets better. The gum stays effective for two years at room temp. No need to refrigerate, recharge, or cast a spell. Just throw it in your bag and become the person who’s casually stopping pandemics between coffee runs.

Now let’s talk herpes for a second. (Take a breath, we’re all adults here.) Two-thirds of the global population has it, and guess what? There’s still no vaccine. Combine that with flu shots that are sometimes hit-or-miss, and this gum starts looking like a tiny chewable superhero.

Oh, and the scientists aren’t done. They’re now testing the same magic bean to fight bird flu in animals. This bean is out here multitasking harder than your friend who somehow juggles full-time work, grad school, and a sourdough starter.

So, the next time someone offers you gum, maybe double check if it’s the virus-killing kind. Because in 2025, we’re not just freshening breath—we’re fighting viruses like the health-conscious badasses we are.