Can something as simple as chewing gum help you eat less and lose weight? It sounds too good to be true - and for the most part is. But preliminary research from the University of Rhode Island suggests that gum chewing may curb hunger – at least a little. In the study, volunteers who chewed sugar-free for a total of one hour in the morning (in three 20-minute bouts) consumed about 70 fewer calories at lunch (where they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted), compared to when they didn’t chew gum. And they didn’t make up the calories later in the day.
As the lead researcher, Dr. Kathleen J. Melanson, explains, “the act of chewing stimulates nerves in the muscles of the jaw, which may send signals to the part of the brain linked to satiety, thereby reducing hunger. Based on these initial results, one could hypothesize that gum chewing may be a useful adjunct to a weight management program.”
Some sticking points: The study was short term, so it’s not known if the small appetite-suppressing effect observed would last. Moreover, not all studies have shown that gum chewing reduces appetite. An earlier study actually found it increased appetite. Not surprisingly, the study was funded by the Wrigley Science Institute (as in Wrigley’s gum) and has not been published.
Chewing gum does burn some calories – about 11 an hour by one estimate. But you’d have to chew (sugarless) gum for 10 to 12 hours a day for a month to lose about a pound. One thing is for sure – gum has fewer calories than a candy bar. Be aware, though, that some sugary gums have 20 or more calories per stick, which adds up if you chew a lot – and can override the small calorie-burning effect of chewing it.
Source: Healthcommunities
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