Mastic gum – precious tears. The story of Mastic gum.
Mastic is a precious resin, harvested only on the Greek island Chios.
The people of the Mediterranean region, where it is used to help prevent bad breath (halitosis) and tooth decay, have always valued it as a natural method of keeping the gums and teeth healthy.
Mastic gum is the resin of the small tree Pistacia lentiscus. Although the tree produces resin in other regions as well, its full efficacy and genuine quality are achieved only on the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. It is only here that its farmers have succeeded in cultivating this temperamental and sensitive plant to the point where it is possible to extract the precious "Mastic tears". Cultivating the trees requires expert knowledge. It is a lengthy and complicated process which cannot be hurried; fertiliser cannot be used on Mastic gum trees and the resin can only be harvested by hand, itself no easy task.
Resin was known as an especially precious substance in Biblical times. In the Old Testament (Genesis 43:11) Israel is quoted as saying: "Take with you the best products of your country, pack them in your baggage and bring them to the man as a gift; take some Mastic gum, some honey, tragacanth and laudanum, pistachios and almonds." The healing properties of Mastic gum were already well known to the ancient world; famous doctors prescribed it for toothache and digestive problems, and according to Adam Lonitzer, writing in 1630, even for coughs. In classical Greece and Rome Mastic gum was used as a medicinal chewing gum for its antiseptic properties and to strengthen the gums. The Mastic gum tree was called the "toothpick tree", as its hard wood was used to make these implements.
The history of Chios is a good example of the resin’s desirability. From the Middle Ages onwards, as the ownership of the island passed from Venice to Genoa, it developed into an important and wealthy trading city. The value of Mastic gum is shown by the hard penalties that were exacted on anyone who stole or smuggled it, especially during the period of Genoese rule. During harvest time the farmers were subject to close surveillance, and at night the gates of the city were shut so that not one precious Mastic gum tear could be abducted. Christopher Columbus himself visited the island of Chios and encountered the Mastic gum tree in around 1470.
Even the ladies of the Sultan of Constantinople’s harem valued Mastic gum, for it kept their teeth healthy and gave them sweet-smelling breath. In 1566, the Sultan forced Genoa to hand over the island to him to secure access to the costly resin.
A study carried out at the University of Salonica in 1980 awakened a new interest in the resin amongst researchers. The study found that Mastic gum can reduce plaque. Further international studies confirmed traditional beliefs about the many healing properties of Mastic gum, proving, for example, that Mastic gum does in fact act to help prevent infection and to slow down bacterial growth.
Today, this high-end natural product from the Orient is used in many different ways, from toothpaste and mouthwash to high-quality skincare. Demand for Mastic gum has grown steadily over the past centuries, celebrating its status as a unique and effective natural remedy.