A new study showed that chewing gum releases microplastics, which can then be swallowed and absorbed by the body.

Learn more about the tiny particles that can come off of your gum — what is essentially a soft piece of plastic — as you chew.

Researchers have found yet another potential contributor to the increasing amount of microplastics found in our bodies: gum. According to a pilot study presented during the American Chemical Society’s spring meeting,