Digestive

Chios Mastic Gum

Peptic ulcers, stomach burning, gastritis, halitosis

AilmentsPeptic UlcersGastritisBad Breath

Chios Mastic Gum — traditional remedy ingredients

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Region

Greece (Chios Island)

Tradition

Greco-Roman & Ottoman medicine

Era

5th century BCE (Herodotus, Dioscorides, Galen)

Science

Yes

Today

Widely Practiced Today

Instructions

Ingredients

Mastic gum "tears" (resin pieces): a few small pieces (about 350 mg to 1 g)

Step-by-Step

Take a few small mastic tears (or a pre-measured capsule/powder if using a commercial product).

Chew the resin slowly like gum — it will soften as you chew.

For stomach complaints, it's traditionally taken on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before a meal.

Continue chewing for several minutes; some people eventually swallow small softened pieces (cut small to avoid choking), others spit it out like gum.

Tips

If using powdered or capsule form, follow the product's dosing directions rather than guessing quantities.

Traditional Mediterranean use is roughly 1 to 2 g per day; avoid exceeding about 3 g/day.

Avoid if you have a known allergy to pistachio or other Anacardiaceae family plants, since mastic comes from a related tree.

Traditional logic

Resin coats gastric lining to seal internal ulcers and cool stomach heat

Background & history

FACT-CHECK: fully verified, including the specific Herodotus/Dioscorides/Galen attribution. Modern research has confirmed activity against Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium primarily responsible for peptic ulcers.

Where it comes from

Greece (Chios Island)

Highlighted on the map: Greece

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This is a historical and cultural reference, not medical advice. Many of these remedies have never been scientifically validated, and folk reasoning (humoral theory, “hot/cold” classifications, spiritual causation) reflects older explanatory traditions rather than modern medicine. Ratings reflect community opinion, not clinical evidence.

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