Instructions on how to use mastic, how to make mastic powder, dosage of mastic as medicine, etc

You can use mastic as ordinary chewing gum, or you can grind it into powder (or at least in very small pieces) and use it as a natural medicine for peptic ulcers and general for stomach disorders.

Mastic is a 100% natural product. That means that not all the pieces of mastic (or tears as they are called) are the same. Some pieces are bigger, some are smaller, some are harder and some are softer.

  • Mastic -due to temperature- is softer in summer and harder in winter.
  • Usually larger pieces are softer than the smaller ones which dry out and harden faster.
  • Generally, medium or large pieces are better for chewing and small pieces are better for grinding them into powder.
  • A more yellow colour means older and harder mastic, a more whitish colour means fresher and softer mastic. Generally speaking you should avoid buying yellow mastic, because this means that mastic is very old and has lost some of its properties.

How to chew Chios mastic as chewing gum:

Choose either a small piece, or break a larger piece and use half of it (in any case initially, use less than the total quantity of mastic you intent to chew) and start chewing it. At the beginning is quite hard, but as the mastic gets warmer from the mouth, it gets softer. If the piece you chew is hard then choose a softer piece and add it to the previous mastic in your mouth. Equally, if the initial piece is too soft and gets stuck in your teeth, add a harder piece to make a mixture that will have the right consistency. You could -if you wish- swallow the mastic when you have finished chewing it. Just make sure you cut it in smaller pieces to avoid choking on a large mastic gum piece.

Chios mastic as natural “medicine“*

A. You could either use mastic in Small Tears -which is safer for transport- and swallow it as it is, or you could ground it into powder.

B. Alternatively you may buy ready made mastic powder.

To ground mastic in powder

Get some small tears (small pieces) of mastic. Put it in deep freezer for a couple of hours. While still frozen, put a small quantity in a blender to ground it. Use low speed and do not overdo it because if the mastic gets warm it will stick to the blender.

Alternatively for small quantities of mastic you can use a mortar, or for a single dose you can squash some mastic in between two spoons.

Instructions for taking mastic as medicine:

Usual dosage*:
Every morning, 15-20 minutes before breakfast, take about 1 gr which is one flat dosage spoon, (see photo on the right). If you do not have a dosage spoon the done is about  half of a flat tea spoonful of mastic (either ground in powder, or mastic in small tears). The result is the same. The only advantage of powder is that is act faster than mastic in small tears.

Hint: Empty from the spoon the ground mastic on your tongue and drink some water to help you swallow it.

Mastic does not get dissolved in water.

*ATTENTION: These are practical advice, which derives from tradition and experience. It is NOT medical advice. If in any doubt, please consult your doctor. In any case, mastic as a natural product has never shown any side effects even in over consumption.

Mastic powder should be preserved either in a fridge, or in a very cool place where temperatures do not exceed 18ο C (64ο F)

The mastic in powder, if exposed to high temperatures will stick together and become one lump, because our powder is 100% natural mastic without chemicals or any other additives that could keep it in powder form.
If the powder sticks and becomes one lump it does not lose any of its beneficial properties, or its taste. In this case, try to tap the jar. If it is in the initial stages of being stuck it could break up in powder again. If the above trick does not work, you could take the powder (lump) of the vase, wrap it in a clean cloth and hit it lightly with a hammer or something heavy until it becomes into powder form again. Alternatively, carefully scratch off powder off the lump with a knife or spoon.

If the powder is very much stuck (if it has being exposed to high temperature) then you might have to put it in a deep freezer for a few hours and then while it is still frozen you can put it in a blender and make it powder again.