Chewing gum calories?

Options
ArchyJill
ArchyJill Posts: 548 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do the calories in chewing gum (even sugar free has 5 calories per serving) count if you don't swallow your gum? Enquiring minds want to know!

Replies

  • kizzyt
    kizzyt Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    I hadnt even thought of adding mine! I only have one per day but I havent added them, I dont swallow the gum though!
  • Meganalva
    Meganalva Posts: 282 Member
    Options
    Very good question, i wanna know! I usually have 2 a day :P
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
    Options
    Yes those count but if you chew it long enough you will just burn them off.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Options
    You do however swallow your saliva that all that sugar and or other stuff just dissolved into, so i'd say yes. But i'd also say if your tracking your gum you might be a little obsessive :-D lol
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
    Options
    This made me laugh so hard. LOL! Of course they count. Gum is not meant to be swallowed. The calories come from what you chew out and swallow in your saliva. Thanks for the giggle!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Options
    I rarely chew gum anymore, but honestly, I think you would probably work off those few calories just by chewing the gum for five or 10 minutes. I wouldn't personally count them, but if you want to be that perfect, then count them. :-)
  • Morgan716
    Morgan716 Posts: 4
    Options
    I add them.
  • wstruemke
    wstruemke Posts: 1
    Options
    I have always wondered this too. It would seem there is still calories from simply chewing but has to be more if you swallow it. But where do the numbers lie?
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Options
    If it's one or two sticks per day, I'd ignore the calories. However, I've seen people ask about a whole pack and since a pack of even sugar free gum is over 100 calories, I'd say you need to count that many.
  • hannahwrnr
    hannahwrnr Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    The calories come from the sugar (and sugar substitute) in the gum. And other stuff I guess haha. Anyways, I add my gum in the log because I usually have two-three pieces a day. I mean, I log celery too, but people say you burn it off just by chewing and digesting it lol. I log everything though. If nothing else, I can look back and see what works and what doesn't. That being said, I don't think not logging it will really affect you, unless you chew A LOT of gum!
  • vanderlogt17
    vanderlogt17 Posts: 5
    Options
    I came across this post because I was curious as well! But they way they figure out how many calories are in something is by burning it, so I'd guess they'd be giving the number of calories in swallowing it. Like everyone said, though, either way I don't think its a big deal.
  • flebus11
    flebus11 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    This should answer the question. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=212865

    This is in the bottom post.

    Dear Mr. Buck:

    Thank you for writing to let us know you are concerned about the digestibility of chewing gum.

    Many people seem to harbor misconceptions about chewing gum, and we've received many letters over the years asking about the digestibility of our product. To give you some background, chewing gum is made of five basic ingredients -- sugar, corn syrup, softeners, flavors and gum base (the insoluble part that puts the "chew" in chewing gum). The first four ingredients are soluble and are extracted from the gum as you chew. Although gum base is not intended to be swallowed, if it is, gum base simply passes through one's system as other roughage does. This normally takes only a few days.

    Incidentally, chewing gum is a food product, so all ingredients used in it may be used in chewing gum in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

    In response to your second question about the nutritional facts, since we manufacture Wrigley's gum to be only chewed, not swallowed, the nutritional information would reflect what you get from chewing the gum. The ingredients are released during your chew and mixed in with your saliva and swallowed during the duration of your chew. Therefore, most of the ingredients would be ingested even before you might swallow the gum.

    Thank you for your interest. We hope this information will be helpful.

    Sincerely,

    Denise Young
    Consumer Relations Coordinator
    WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY

Categories