Is it bad to chew gum?

I've been pondering this question for a while now. Is gum bad? I mean the sugarless aspartame, xylitol ones. I've heard that artificial sugars are bad for the body, but one piece of gum is only 5 cals; is it bad to chew gum when you're having a craving?

I've heard chewing gum isn't great for you.  When you're chewing gum your stomach thinks you're eating food and gets ready for receiving it.  But then when no food appears your stomach has all this acid waiting for food.  I don't know all the facts maybe some one esle does?

I doubt there's any real harm in it, but IMO, gum will probably make you hungrier since it stimulates the salivary glands but deprives the stomach of sustinence. Whenever I chew and I'm mildly hungry, my stomach starts growling like crazy. I'd say gum is good for when you've finished your meal and want to stop yourself from overdoing it.

Haha, Helen C, you beat me to it, but I was thinking the same thing.

try cinnamon gum - the taste is more food-like than minty gum, and it works for me to stop a bad craving. it is almost like taking a bite of a big, gooey cinnabon....covered in icing with nuts on top....omg, i think i need my gum now!!

good luck!

=^..^=

Some experts say that gum causes carbohydrate cravings and that it makes your body think you are having food but since you really aren't, it can cause a spike in your insulin.  I don't know how true this is... we all know that insulin spikes are bad.

Hmm, I've heard that gum with aspartame (spelling?) makes your gut stick out, and all those artificial ingredients can't be too good for you... Also I've noticed when I chew gum when I'm really hungry, it only makes me hungrier because my stomach begins anticipating food. As for things that do stop cravings, I've always used ice, lots and lots of water (if you down a huge glass full, you won't feel hungry afterwards, though your stomach might feel a bit odd). Or you could have super-low-cal veggies, like cucumber or carrots, nearby so you can fill up on that.
 Hope that  helps =)

thanks for the info!

now that i've started school, I don't have those torturous hours between lunch and dinner anymore, so I don't need to resort to gum. I'm getting braces soon anyway so I won't be able to CHEW gum. lol. Hopefully, I won't start binging on a whole lot of other foods though.

if the gum your chewing contains sorbitol, it will make your stomache bloated and stick out.

Since quitting smoking over a year ago I still chew alot of gum.  I have to chew gum while working out or else my mouth gets so dry I choke and yes I drink water too while working out but I have to chew gum too - I also still have to have a piece when I am in my car - I am fine all other times of the day in not needing to chew gum. 

As far as stomach sticking out - ya it does but that's probably because I am fat and not because I chew gum!!

I think that chewing gum makes me crave me more sugar. 

I personally don't think so. The way I use gum is to get rid of sugar craving, even though I go for sugarless, and it keeps me occupied. I always like having some sort of food in my mouth, so it helps. ^^

today I had around 3 pieces of gum... and my final conclusion is that... GUM IS EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!

Firstly, it makes me store up a lot of gas. Secondly it makes me thirsty and thirdly IT MAKES ME SOOOOO HUNGRY!

I ate so much today after being all good for the past few weeks. So... I'm going to avoid gum at ALL costs now.

dbackerfan: I'd say I agree with your theory - my stomach sticks out because I have a pooch of fat!  LOL! 

Some days I eat a whole pack of Orbit Bubblemint - I love it, I always feel like I have bad breath, so I chew it all day long!  I could never give up my gum after giving up smoking!

The often-maligned act of chewing gum could in fact make us smarter, according to British research. A joint study carried out by the University of Northumbria and the Cognitive Research Unit, Reading, has found that chewing gum has a positive effect on cognitive tasks such as thinking and memory.

"The results were extremely clear and specifically we found that chewing gum targeted memory", Andrew Scholey of the university's Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit said. "People recalled more words and performed better in tests on working memory."

Peppermint gum, menthol or spearmint - it makes no difference. The key is the repetitive chewing motion. Scholey said the improved performance in a range of memory tests could be attributed to an increase in heart rate coupled with a surge in insulin to the brain. {{{study info, blah blah}}}

"What we think is that the mild increase in heart rate may improve the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain, enough to improve cognitive function", he told Reuters.

If you want to stop a craving, try the peppermint candies. Very low in calories, and will stop hunger in no time. Works for me.