Does Chewing Gum Help You Lose Weight?

Some report it helps keep them away from mindless eating, while others swear it keeps their cravings away or helps shape their face by toning their muscles.

This article looks into the science behind these claims to determine whether chewing gum can truly help shape your face or shed unwanted weight.

Although not all studies agree, some research suggests that chewing gum may offer the following weight loss benefits.

May help you eat fewer calories

Some people like to chew gum between meals, as they believe it aids weight loss by helping them consume fewer calories during the day.

In one study, participants who chewed gum between breakfast and lunch not only felt less hungry between meals but also ate around 68 fewer calories at lunch than those who didn’t chew gum

For reference, this is approximately equivalent to 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of peanut butter or one small piece of fruit.

Similarly, other studies suggest that chewing gum after a meal may help you eat up to a 10% smaller portion of a snack 3 hours later than if you hadn’t chewed any gum

Although these findings appear promising, keep in mind that the reductions in calorie intake remain small. Plus, it’s currently unclear whether they result in significant long-term weight loss.

In addition, not all studies have found similar results. In fact, some report that gum chewing has little influence on food or calorie intake. Therefore, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be made

May help you burn slightly more calories

A few small studies suggest that the action of chewing gum may help burn a few additional calories.

In one small study, participants who chewed gum before and after breakfast burned around 3-5% more calories in the 3 hours following the meal, compared with those who didn't chew gum

In another study, chewing gum after a meal increased diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), which is the number of calories burned through digestion.

However, the number of extra calories burned remained very small, and simply eating the same meal more slowly was even more effective at raising DIT than chewing gum

Research further suggests that chewing gum while walking may aid weight loss. It's believed to do so by increasing your heart rate and walking speed, possibly resulting in increased calorie and fat burning.