Last updated : Monday, July 13, 2009

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Chew Gum, Cut Calories

woman blowing a chewing gum bubble

Almost everyone suffers from a case of the late afternoon office munchies.You bolt to the vending machine in search of the ultimate snack. And before you know it you've torn through a fattening bag of chips and possibly a candy bar ... Not exactly a winning combo for a healthy diet. So, our friends at Wrigley gave us the solution to satisfying your cravings and curbing your hunger. All you have to do is pop a piece of gum! Chew on these facts ...

How Chewing Gum Can Help You Lose Weight:

- It Burns Calories: Research at the Mayo Clinic found that chewing gum can burn approximately 11 calories per hour. The researchers noted that this is a form of "non-exercise activity thermogenesis" (NEAT). While the amount of energy burned when chewing gum is small, small changes can add up. The act of chewing gum can help in a small way to add to the day's energy expenditure and be an important component of weight maintenance or loss.

- It's Basically Calorie-Free: Sugarfree chewing gum continues to have a "free food" status on healthy eating plans like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and American Dietetic Association Diabetic Exchange Lists, making it a very low-calorie option for those following such regimens.

- It Suppresses Your Appetite: An initial study published in the journal Appetite showed that chewing gum before snacking can help reduce hunger, diminish cravings for sweets and decrease snack intake by 36 calories. The 60-person study of healthy men and women aged 18 to 40 tested the effects of chewing gum on post-lunch appetite and snacking. The researchers suggest that gum chewing can help suppress appetite, specifically for sweets, and reduce snack intake overall.

More research conducted by Louisiana State University shows the potential role of Extra sugar-free gum in helping to control appetite, decrease calorie intake and reduce snack cravings. When chewing Extra sugar-free gum, overall snack intake was reduced by 40 calories.  And sweet snack intake was specifically lowered by 60 calories. In addition, gum chewers showed a significant decrease in the consumption of "low fat/high sugar" snack foods as well as a nearly significant decrease in the intake of "high fat/high sugar" snack foods.  

- It's a Great Weight Management Tool: Chewing gum can easily be incorporated as part of a toolbox approach to behavior modification for weight management. Here's how:

1. Pop a piece of gum in your mouth to signal the end of a meal.

2. Chew gum between meals when you are feeling the urge for high-calorie snacks.

3. Does stress trigger you to eat too much? Try chewing gum to help relieve stress and avoid "mindless munching."

4. Chew gum while cooking to keep from nibbling during meal preparation.

5. When you go out to eat, chew gum while awaiting the main course to avoid snacking on bread and appetizers.

6. Take it on the go - chewing gum is portable, affordable and an accessible diversion from high-calorie snacks.

For more great advice on how gum can be used as a weight management tool from Wrigley click here. And for more great diet tips and tricks click here. 

 

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