Chewing Gums does not Help in Weight Loss: Study

A recent study breaks the myth that chewing gum helps in weight loss. The study states that chewing gum does not help in weight loss, nor does it reduce the intake of calories, reports LiveScience.

According to scientists, the presence of the chemical menthol that gives the minty fresh flavor to chewing gum makes people binge on foods that are rich in calories such as cookies, candy, and chips instead of fruits or vegetables. This is because menthol gives a very unpleasant taste that is similar to the taste you receive on drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.

The study was conducted by study co-author Christine Swoboda, a doctoral candidate in nutrition at Ohio State University, and Jennifer Temple of the University at Buffalo.

The study included 14 volunteers who were asked to play a game in exchange for food.  A few of the volunteers played for fruits while the others played for chips or candy.

Prior to the experiment, the volunteers were given either fruit or mint gum.

The researchers noticed that those who chewed mint gum were less likely to play for fruits and also noticed a reduction of motivation in them. Those who chewed fruity gum had a similar but smaller effect. They also showed a reduced interest in fruits, reports LiveScience.

The second bit of the experiment demanded the volunteers to maintain a food journal in which they recorded what they ate. For a week, a few of the volunteers were asked to chew a mint prior to each meal and snack, while the others had to just enter the food the consumed.

Though the participants who chewed gum ate fewer meals, they didn't necessarily consume less calories.

The researchers state that it is the menthol in mint that mixes with nutrients in fruits that gives a bitter flavor.

The details of the study were published in the April edition of the journal Eating Behaviors.