Vitacost ROOT2 Greek Chios Mastic Gum | 500 mg | 120 Capsules

Vitacost ROOT2 Greek Chios Mastic Gum provides 500 mg of natural mastic gum resin per capsule (1,000 mg per two capsules), with 120 vegetarian capsules in each bottle. It is sourced from the mastic trees of the Greek island of Chios. It suits people who deal with recurring heartburn, heaviness after meals, stubborn bloating and gas, or a history of H. pylori. It also suits anyone who wants to support the stomach and gut lining rather than just quiet the symptoms. Many everyday digestive complaints do not begin with too much acid. More often they begin with a bacterial imbalance in the stomach and small intestine, and with inflammation that weakens the protective lining. Mastic is a plant resin that works on exactly that root: it helps calm an irritated lining and supports a balanced microbial environment.

What Is Greek Mastic Gum?

Mastic gum is a natural resin that seeps from cuts in the bark of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) and hardens into translucent, pale yellow "tears." Mastic from Chios in Greece is the most prized in the world, thanks to the island's unique soil and climate. The resin is rich in compounds called triterpenoids, including masticadienonic acid, isomasticadienonic acid and oleanonic acid. It also contains an aromatic oil high in alpha-pinene, plus a polymer fraction that gives it its chewy texture. Mastic has been used for centuries across the Mediterranean for stomach comfort and fresh breath. Here it comes as powdered resin in a capsule that delivers it directly to the stomach.

Benefits of Greek Mastic Gum

• Stomach Support: Mastic helps soothe an irritated stomach lining, easing the burning, heaviness and discomfort that follow meals.
• Targets H. pylori: Its triterpenoid compounds act against Helicobacter pylori, which is why mastic is so widely used to support the stomach in people dealing with this bacterium.
• Less Bloating and Gas: Mastic helps rebalance bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, a common driver of bloating that appears soon after eating.
• Gut Lining Protection: Mastic has a soothing effect on the mucosa and supports the integrity of the barrier that separates gut contents from the bloodstream.
• Calms Inflammation: Its compounds help quiet inflammatory pathways in the digestive tract, where chronic inflammation often shows up as fatigue and a general heavy feeling.
• Oral and Gum Health: Mastic's antibacterial properties support a clean mouth and healthy gums, which is why it has long been linked with fresh breath.
• Liver Support: A calmer, better-balanced gut means less burden on the liver, the first organ to receive everything absorbed from the intestines.
• Natural Antioxidants: Mastic provides plant compounds that help protect cells from oxidative stress.

How Greek Mastic Gum Works in the Body

A healthy stomach needs strong acid. That acid breaks down protein, kills microbes that arrive with food, and signals the stomach valve to open and the gallbladder to release bile. When H. pylori settles into the lining, it neutralizes the acid around itself and sets off chronic inflammation, so digestion is weakened from the very first step. Food then sits longer and ferments, and the pressure pushes back up into the esophagus as heartburn. This is why heartburn is sometimes a problem of too little acid, not too much. Mastic's triterpenoids work on several levels. They make it harder for the bacterium to survive and attach to the lining, calm the inflammatory response in the stomach wall, and support the mucus layer that protects the stomach from its own acid.

The effect extends to the small intestine. When stomach acid is weak, bacteria move into the small intestine and multiply where they don't belong. There they ferment carbohydrates and sugars, producing gas and bloating and reducing the absorption of vitamin B12, iron and magnesium. That is why poor digestion so often travels with fatigue and brain fog. Mastic helps restore balance in this environment. Its effect is stronger when you cut back on what feeds unwanted bacteria: sugar, refined starches and constant snacking. Several things work against it:

• Long-term reliance on antacids, which weakens acid even further.
• Anti-inflammatory painkillers, which irritate the lining.
• Chronic stress, because elevated cortisol reduces blood flow to the stomach and lowers both acid and protective mucus.

Good sleep, calm meals and thorough chewing all support what mastic does.

What Sets This Formula Apart

ROOT2 by Vitacost delivers 500 mg of mastic gum per capsule, or 1,000 mg per two capsules. You can split the daily amount across two meals or take it at once. The resin is Greek Chios mastic, as named on the bottle, and the label lists it as a "Clinically Researched Ingredient." The capsule shell is plant-based hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and the product carries a Vegetarian badge, so it suits anyone avoiding animal gelatin. The other ingredients are minimal: microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide, used to stabilize and encapsulate the powder. Compared with chewing raw mastic, a capsule gives a consistent amount every time without affecting taste or teeth.

Who Is This Product For?

• People with recurring heartburn, acidity or heaviness after eating.
• Anyone with a history of H. pylori looking to support the stomach lining naturally.
• Those who get bloating and gas after meals, especially after starches and sweets.
• People who have used antacids or anti-inflammatory painkillers long term and want to support their digestive lining.
• Anyone focused on gum health and fresh breath from the inside out.
• Vegetarians looking for a gelatin-free capsule.

How to Use

The label amount for ROOT2 Greek Chios Mastic Gum is two capsules (1,000 mg), or as directed by a healthcare professional. Take it with a glass of water shortly before a meal or on a relatively empty stomach, so it can contact the stomach lining before food covers it. You can also take one capsule before each of two meals instead of both at once. You will get more out of it if you also:

• Reduce sugar and refined starches.
• Space out meals instead of grazing all day.
• Eat slowly and away from stress.

Each bottle holds 120 capsules, a 60-day supply at two capsules daily.

Product Details

• Active Ingredient: Mastic (Pistacia letniscus) (gum resin).
• Strength: 500 mg per capsule; 1,000 mg per two capsules.
• Form: Vegetarian capsule.
• Count: 120 capsules.
• Other Ingredients: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide.
• Suitable For: Vegetarians.
• Brand: ROOT2 by Vitacost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does mastic gum help with H. pylori?

Mastic contains triterpenoid compounds that act against Helicobacter pylori and calm the inflammation it causes in the stomach wall. That makes it one of the best-known natural options for supporting the stomach when this bacterium is present. Diagnosis and follow-up should still be handled by a doctor.

Should I take mastic before or after eating?

Before is generally preferred. Take it shortly before a meal or on a relatively empty stomach with water, so its compounds reach the stomach lining directly. The two capsules can be split across two meals.

Can mastic gum help with bloating?

Much bloating comes from bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine combined with weak stomach acid. Mastic helps rebalance that bacterial environment and soothe the lining. It works best when you also cut back on the sugars and starches those bacteria feed on.

What's the difference between mastic capsules and chewing mastic gum?

Chewing mainly benefits the mouth and gums, and the amount that reaches the stomach varies. A capsule delivers a fixed 500 mg of mastic resin to the stomach every time, with no effect on teeth and no long chewing needed.

Caution

Consult a doctor if pregnant, nursing, diabetic or taking any long-term medication.