I am a life-long gum devotee. When I was a kid, I could chew through packs of Hubba Bubba and Bubblicious like nobody's business. I have fond memories of going with my dad to a local convenience store called Lucky's where I could gaze upon the huge display of candies and gums. He would let me pick out a pack or two and would often say, "don't tell your mother."
Anyway, 20-some years later I still enjoy at least one piece of gum following every meal and wonder what sort of role regular gum-chewing has on eating habits and weight management. There have been some studies to suggest that gum-chewing has an effect on digestion or can help with maintaining weight and staving off cravings.
A recent and rather small study published in the journal, Appetite, and paid in part by Wrigley (the gum company) looked at the "Effects of chewing gum on short-term appetite regulation in moderately restrained eaters." Check out the Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21718732
In this study, gum chewers (45 minutes at a time) ate slightly less and reportedly had better satiety through suppressed appetite and craving levels.
Dentists would surely recommend sugarless gum but for some people the artificial sweeteners can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. So, it's up to you. I will continue my gum obsession.
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