Chewing Gum for Taking Insulin Instead of Injections and Pills...

10 May 2023

An American pharmacist announced the discovery of a new method for delivering insulin into the body through chewing gum, as an alternative to other medications such as injections and oral tablets.
Robert Doyle from Syracuse University in New York stated that he has a potential solution to the problem that the body has a specific mechanism for protecting and absorbing valuable molecules from damage when they reach the intestines, adding that the gum he invented helps the body absorb insulin as required.
He added that it is known that vitamin B12 can be protected by a protein in saliva called haptocorrin that binds to the mouth and protects the stomach, explaining that when this substance - haptocorrin - reaches the intestines, another chemical pathway assists the vitamin and transports it into the bloodstream.
Although many patients prefer to use oral insulin tablets, some studies have indicated that insulin can easily be broken down into small parts by the digestive system, and that the bloodstream does not readily absorb live enzymes.
Doyle said that the gum tested on laboratory rats proved effective, adding that this means it may produce similar results in humans.
It is worth noting that an insulin spray was introduced to the US market in 2006, but was withdrawn a year later due to its ineffectiveness.

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