Is chewing gum okay to have when losing weight?

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nosila96
nosila96 Posts: 25
in Food and Nutrition
I read somewhere that chewing gum doesn't help with losing belly fat because it bloats up the belly? Does anyone know anything else about this?

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  • 1Kristine1
    1Kristine1 Posts: 697 Member
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    I'd say thats a myth. Sugar-free gum would be fine, IMO
  • JulieDerda
    JulieDerda Posts: 163
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    just dont swallow it :) i hear it stays in your belly for 7 years. LOL j/j but for the real a piece of gum is only like 5 calories.. im sure youll be fine. ;):flowerforyou:
  • zellagrrl
    zellagrrl Posts: 439
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    I don't think it has anything to do with bloat or belly fat at all. I chew it when I'm craving a cigarette or want something sweet but not actual food.
  • zen_mama
    zen_mama Posts: 51
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    the only way chewing gum would bloat up your belly is if you tend to swallow lots of air when you chew. Or at least that has been my experience.
  • MelChrissa
    MelChrissa Posts: 9 Member
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    This is just one of the answers I found and they all basically say the same thing


    http://www.accesshollywood.com/healthy-hollywood-ask-keri-glassman-is-chewing-gum-bad-for-you_article_63255

    Keri says…

    “Gum is one of those deceptive “foods.” While it can be a replacement to mindless noshing, all the sugar and/or artificial sweeteners are no good for your body (and teeth!). Sugar-free gum is filled with a variety of artificial sweeteners to keep it chewy and flavorful.

    These sweeteners include aspartame, one of the most commercially used artificial sweeteners that has been linked to having carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects. Researchers theorize that artificial sweeteners, which can be 200-700 times sweeter than sugar, cause our bodies to react differently to food.

    When calories don’t follow the sweet flavor, our bodies search for calories, resulting in more cravings and often increased overall calorie consumption! Yes, artificial sweeteners have the ability to make us crave more sweets! Sugar-filled gum is no better. The sugar in gum provides us with empty (and unhealthy!) calories and coats our teeth with the tooth-decaying sugars. Yuck!

    Although gum and other hard candies seem like great oral fixes, they can also increase bloating. Turning foods over in our mouths causes us to swallow lots of air, generating an excess buildup of gas in our abdomen. This bloat makes us feel puffy – the last thing we want right before beach season!

    The next time you feel like reaching for a stick of gum, try brewing some tea instead. Sipping slowly on hot or cold tea is a great way to calm both your cravings and stress levels. If you’re missing that minty flavor, try peppermint tea to help your body’s digestive system and actually reduce bloating!”

    -- Terri MacLeod & Keri Glassman
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    how exactly does air convert to fat? if this were true everyone would be overweight and have lots of belly fat just because we have to breathe to survive
  • SweetxCatastrophe
    SweetxCatastrophe Posts: 593 Member
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    Sounds like some crap dr oz would say. If you feel the need to chew gum, chew some sugarless gum. And about it supposedly being bad for your teeth, I've had a dentist friend say the opposite -- chewing gum stimulates saliva production which keeps tartar at bay.
  • MelChrissa
    MelChrissa Posts: 9 Member
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    I don't think it adds fat...but something I was reading said that as you chew you are swallowing air...which can make the belly blotted.
    As for the cleaning teeth....yes...sugarless gum is good for cleaning.
  • nosila96
    nosila96 Posts: 25
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    I'm only having one gum a day and it's sugar-free.
    How would I know if the bloating is because of swallowing air?
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
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    you might have to worry about the muscle weight you're going to gain when you develop strength in your jaw area.

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