Dieters Take Note: Too Much Sugar Free Gum Could Lead to Excessive Weight-Loss

Scientists uncover striking similarities between two clinical cases in which a twenty-one year old women and a forty-six year old man lost a dangerous amount of weight over a short period of time due to chewing too much sugar-free gum. Both patients, who were hospitalized for diarrhea, were found to be consuming a lot of sorbitol, an artificial sweetener and common ingredient in sugar-free gum, according to a German physician's report.

The risk is far greater in Europe than in the United States because in the U.S., sorbitol is rarely used and instead aspartame, also called NutraSweet, is more often used in sugar-free gum. NutraSweet and saccharin are safe; however, it is recommended that people limit their intake of sorbitol, which is not safe when ingested in large quantities. These findings were published in the January 12 issue of the British Medical Journal.

When the female patient stopped chewing gum, she was released from the hospital and soon regained fifteen pounds. The male patient also had positive results when he stopped chewing gum. He felt better and soon regained eleven pounds only six months after the gum-chewing with sorbitol ended.

How Much Sorbitol is Safe for Dieters?

Each stick of gum that has sorbitol listed as an ingredient has an average of 1.25g of the sweeter. It is not a big problem for most of the European gum-chewers, as long as they do not experience negative symptoms such as diarrhea and excessive weight loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that the danger of diarrhea is associated with the consumption of more than 50g of sorbitol daily.

The British Medical Journal also recommends that people refrain from excessive amounts of sorbitol contained in sugar-free gum, however it reports different numbers for safe amounts of sorbitol. The patients that were sickened by the sweetener in this study were found to have consumed between 20 and 30g of sorbitol every day.

Gum Chewing May Help Reduce Cravings and Control Appetite

Researchers have found that gum chewing may help to reduce food cravings, which in turn could control appetite for dieters. Gum chewing in place of an afternoon snack can help to reduce calorie intake. Chewing gum has also been found to reduce anxiety and stress.

What Can a Dieter Do About Their Urge to Chew Gum?

It is common for dieters to use gum chewing as a dieting tool because of the impact that it has on the reduction of food intake, regulation of appetite and diet and increasing weight loss. Researchers recommend that dieters read the ingredients of their favorite sugar-free gum. If sorbitol is listed as one of the ingredients, it is recommended that a log be kept to minimize the chances of accidentally chewing too much sugar-free gum with sorbitol.

Consult Your Doctor

If you have any questions about the safe amount of sugar-free gum with sorbitol, it is highly recommended that you consult your physician. People may be tempted to chew sugar-free gum with sorbitol for the diet and weight-loss benefits, but a consultation with a health care provider is the safest option before using excessive gum-chewing as a dieting tool.