Photo Credit: Raquel Perez
Chewing gum shows promise for regulating appetite and reducing the desire to eat, although more research is needed to confirm its effects, according to a systematic review published in Nutrients. The authors evaluated the influence of chewing gum on appetite regulation, satiety, energy intake, and weight loss through randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The authors searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from July 2023 to September 2024. The Cochrane risk for bias tool, RoB 2, was used for quality assessment. The authors included eight articles comprising nine RCTs in their review. Seven RCTs assessed appetite regulation, with five reporting a significant hunger-suppressing effect, three showing a significant reduction in the desire to eat, and three out of four reporting a decreased desire for sweet snacks compared with controls. Findings on satiety, energy intake, and weight loss were inconclusive.
