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Chewing Gum


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All right wonderous people of the Forum,

 

I got an interesting question from the "Energy Drinks" thread regarding chewing gum. I've decided to make a separate topic about chewing gum in order to avoid potential confusion. ^_^

The following is from Padfoot in the "Energy Drinks" thread:

Kimmeh, do you know if chewing gum does the same, eat away the lining of your stomach? I've heard that a few times because your stomach thinks you're eating when it's not. I saw on The Biggest Loser yesterday one of the instructors suggested to one of the ladies when she was craving cake to eat chewing gum. It's ok if you don't know :P

 

All right -takes deep breath-. I've scoured through about five or so articles. :lostit: But, I found some useful information. To Kimmie: I have watched about two or three seasons of "The Biggest Loser" and find that show to be a treasure trove of information, as well as very inspirational.

 

So, let me start off: The personal trainers on the show recommend to their contestants that they chew, primarily, sugar-free gum (I am not sure if they changed their brand sponsor, but last I checked it was "Extra"). The brand Extra contains a variety of gum that mirrors dessert flavors. The reason why sugar-free gum is so valuable in the conestants' overall health regimen is for several reasons: it kills their sweet (if you define sweet to the tastebuds, if can mean anything: fruit, a healthy platter of mixed salad, or high processed [sometimes trans fatty, sugary, simple basic carb, oily, or high in cholesterol] foods) cravings, moderates their caloric intake, and gives the contestants a feeling of psychological satisfaction.

 

You are right about the body [not the stomach] "think(ing) you're eating when it's not". It's sort of a mind trick for the person: when you pop a piece of gum into your mouth and chew, your brain is registering the flavor of the gum (using sensory, or "input", skills) while it sends signals (using motor, or "output", actions) to move your jaw. If you are not immediately cognately aware of this "trick", your body (taste buds, and what have you) do not distinguish or discriminate the difference of eating a piece of cake to chewing gum the flavor of your favorite cake. Isn't that amazing?

 

The main ingredient, if you were to look at the nutrition charts of your gum, is usually in the form of a sugar alcohol, or sweetener. This is an alternative to sugar (or sucrose). Depending on the brand (Orbit, Five, Extra, Trident, etc.), sugar alcohols can be in the form of Xylitol or Phenylalanine.

 

Xylitol is derived naturally, and is used as a natural sweetener, from fruit and vegetable fibers (which are naturally sweet because of their growth processes) such as corn (husks), oats, berries (raspberries in particular), plums, mushrooms, and birch, etc. It has effective therapeutic properties, such as preventing/reducing/maintaining certain forms of Diabetes, improvement of dental hygiene, and boosting of blood cells (in other animals). However, consumed in large amounts, xylitol can cause stomach upset because of its laxative effects.

(Read here: Xylitol, Natural Derivation)

 

Phenylalanine is actually an amino-acid compound, in its pure form. Its compositional make up operates in conjunction with other essential amino acids which are coded by DNA in the body, and influences the chemicals within the brain. When the compound is produced as a sweetener, the result becomes aspartame . Brand manufacturers must put cautionary labels that this type of sweetener is included in their products because some people have the genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (or PKU), which is the inability to metabolize, or convert, the acid.

(Read here: University of Maryland Article

Phenylalanine (Wikipedia Page))

 

Other gum sweetener alternatives include sorbitol and mannitol.

 

One stick, or piece, of sugar-free gum has less than, on average, ten calories. Not a big impact on your overall intake. The idea behind weight loss is the burn more calories (fat, before muscle) than what you take in. This has to be done in a healthy manner, however. To contribute to overall health, as well, sugar-free gum (according to the American Dental Association [ADA]) fights cavities. The production of saliva, especially chewing a piece of gum for up to a half an hour after a meal, helps to "wash away" any plaque-causing bacteria. This is what commericals refer to as a "clean" mouth.

Benefits of Mint Chewing Gum, written by Chris Sherwood for Livestrong.com)

 

Studies by the New England Journal of Medicine also note (according to this article: Side-effects of Gum (Chewing), written by Simon McNeil--nutrition correspondent for Askmen.com) shows that chewing gum also helps to increase metabolic rate--the rate at which the body digests food--and burn calories faster and can help a person lose up to 11 pounds (4.9 kilograms) per year.

 

However, chewing constantly and continuously comes with a caveat (warning) of sorts: As metabolic rate increases, so does the work that your stomach and intestines perform. Overworking these organs can produce the following ill effects: specific cancers and ulcers. However, more study needs to be done in this area as the article stipulates.

 

Perhaps that ^ is what you were referring to as sugar-free gum "eating away at the stomach lining".

 

Of course, anything in moderation is a good thing. :yesyes:

My gum of choice is: Five's Cobalt variety. (Allergy information: Contains soy lechitin and phenylalanine)

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  • 2 weeks later...

lol im always getting hungry when im chewing gum... so it wouldnt help me on a diet :( lol im weird.

You're not weird, I'm the same as you. :P

I tried chewing gum to prevent myself from eating but ended up eating more.

 

Anyway I'm not a fan of gum and I avoid it as much as possible.

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