Beemans chewing gum was invented in the late 1890s by Dr. Edward E. Beeman,
a physician from Ohio. The gum is made of pepsin powder and chicle, a natural
gum derived from a tropical evergreen tree. It was marketed as an aid to digestion
and releaving heartburn. Production of the gum ended in 1978 due to lagging sales,
but as part of a nostalgia campaign in 1985, the product was put back on the market
along with Clove and Black Jack chewing gums.
Beemans became popular with aviators because of the antacid qualities of pepsin. It
is considered the “lucky” gum of pilots.