May 21, 2026
Taste buds: rebooted
Chewing gum restores dad's taste and smell years after Covid
Commenters are desperate to buy the miracle gum — and already arguing over whether dads get special powers
TLDR: A University of Nottingham trial found that strong-flavor chewing gum helped a dad regain taste and smell years after Covid, with many participants also improving. Commenters were equal parts hopeful and chaotic: some begged to buy the gum now, some cracked dad jokes, and one launched a mini debate about whether spicy food even counts as taste.
A dad who spent years living in a grey, smell-free world after Covid says a special chewing gum gave him his taste and smell back — and the internet instantly turned the story into a mix of hope, nitpicking, shopping lust, and peak comment-section chaos. In the University of Nottingham pilot, 16 people chewed extra-strong flavored gum for 12 weeks, and many reported better taste and smell. The big movie moment? He bit into a blueberry and suddenly the flavor "exploded" after years of nothing. The gross-but-glorious confirmation came later when a lawnmower met dog poo and his senses got absolutely ambushed.
But online, readers were less interested in quiet scientific triumph and more interested in asking the real questions: Where can I buy this stuff right now? One commenter basically wanted the gum as a consumer superpower upgrade, while another wondered if it only works if you’re a father, joking: "Does it work for people who aren’t dad’s?" Yes, the typo somehow made it even more comment-section-perfect.
Then came the classic internet debate lord energy. One reader zoomed in on the line about eating spicy curry with "no effect" and challenged the science vibes, pointing out that spicy heat is more of a pain sensation than taste. Meanwhile, others skipped the debate and went full gum stan, calling it an "amazing product" and saying they’d buy it in a heartbeat. The overall mood? A weirdly touching mix of medical hope, dad humor, and people ready to clear store shelves for blueberry-revealing magic gum.
Key Points
- •A University of Nottingham pilot trial tested specially formulated flavored chewing gum for long-term post-Covid loss of smell and taste.
- •The 12-week study used gums with strong flavors, including spicy, minty, sour, and sweet, and was designed by Dr Nicole Yang.
- •Featured participant Dr Paul Wicks said he lost smell and taste after Covid in August 2022 and reported recovery during the trial.
- •According to the article, the 16-person pilot found that 67% improved in smell and 83% reported improved taste.
- •The decentralized trial was conducted from participants’ homes, and the research team is seeking funding for a larger study.