. . "It has now been found that minerals, particularly sodium and potassium chlorides, can be supplied to the stomach for assimilation into body fluids by a therapeutic chewing gum composition comprising an insoluble gum base containing from 2 to 6 percent by weight of sodium chloride and from 0.1 to 0.5 percent by weight of potassium chloride, wherein the weight ratio of sodium chloride to potassium c" . . .