Can you eat gum when fasting?
In this article we are going to answer can you eat gum when fasting, what is fasting, if chewing gum breaks your fast, and if you can eat sugar-free gum when fasting.
Can you eat gum when fasting?
It is a tricky question, but yes you can eat or chew sugar-free gum when fasting. Sugar-free gum has minimum effects on insulin and contains very few calories. But, you need to be aware that some fasts are very strict and prohibit consuming any calories at all.
What is intermittent fasting?
It is a way to lose weight and manage weight control. It is an eating plan that switches between fasting and eating on a schedule. Intermittent fasting focuses on when to eat instead of what you eat.
For example, the most common is 16:8, you fast for 16 hours and eat in the next 8 hours. The recommendation is to have a healthy diet in those 8 hours and not eat just what you can.
How does fasting work?
The basic idea is that by restricting food, our body will burn more efficiently our fat storage. During times of deprivation, our main source of energy is fat. So, when you fast instead of using glucose from food for the energy you use your fat storage.
What can I consume when fasting?
- Water
- Black Coffee
- Sprinkled water, no calories
- Sugar-free gum if necessary
- Tea no sugar added
Once you break the fast, the recommendation is to consume a healthy diet with all groups of food. You can follow the Mediterranean diet, and pick unrefined carbs like whole grains, leafy greens, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
Does eating or chewing gum break my fast?
It depends on how strict your fasting is. Sugar-free gum contains 6 calories while regular gum contains about 11 calories.
For a strict fast, do not eat any gum. However, there is a rule that you can consume less than 50 calories and it will not affect you fast, so if you want to follow this rule I recommend that you go for the sugar-free gum.
What are the benefits of gum when fasting?
- Reduce Hunger
- Minimally affects insulin
- Oral health
Reduce Hunger
It has been proven that chewing gum reduces hunger and reduces the intake of food in your next meal. Also, it has been proven that chewing gum for 30 minutes while fasting stabilizes a hormone that controls hunger.
Minimally affects insulin
Some studies prove that chewing gum when fasting doesn’t affect insulin. This is important because low levels of insulin help you enter ketosis. It is believed that ketosis is why you lose weight when fasting.
Oral Health
According to Sage, it has been proven that xylitol lowers the incidence of bacteria that lead to tooth decay in mothers who chew gum in the first trimester with xylitol.
What does gum contain?
They may vary from brand to brand. Chewing gum usually contains
Gum base
It may include any of the following synthetic substances:
- Butadiene-styrene rubber
- Isobutylene-isoprene copolymer
- Paraffin
- Petroleum wax
- Petroleum wax synthetic
- Polyethylene
- Polyisobutylene polyvinyl acetate
Sweeteners
- Sugar
- dextrose
- glucose/corn syrup
- erythritol
- isomalt
- xylitol
- maltitol
- mannitol
- sorbitol
- lactitol
Softeners
- Glycerine
Flavorings
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Lemon or any fruit alternatives
Polyol Coating
It is the outer shell created due to water-absorbent powder to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life.
What is the nutritional value of gum?
Here is an example of the nutrition value of a typical sugar-free gum vs normal gum
| 1 stick | Sugar-free | Norma gum |
| Calories | 2 calories | 6 calories |
| Fat | 0 grams | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 grams | 0 g |
| Trans Fats | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 g |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g | 1.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g | 0.9 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
What brand of sugar-free gum can I eat when fasting?
- Extra
- Trident
- Airways
- Center Fresh
Look for sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, stevia, or aspartame in the ingredients. Aspartame and sodium cyclamate are controversial to health. They have been linked to different heart problems.
If you want more information on intermittent fasting here is a link with 10 Intermittent Fasting Rules to Finally Get You Results.
Other FAQs about Chewing Gums that you may be interested in.
What to do if I accidentally swallowed gum?
Conclusion
This article answered the questions: can you eat gum when fasting, what is fasting, if chewing gum breaks your fast, and if you can eat sugar-free gum when fasting.
