Chewing sugarless gum in the afternoons can help hunger, energy

ScienceNews - To Limit Sweet Indulgences, Chew, Chew, Chew

A study funded by Wrigley (a chewing-gum company) found that those who chewed sugarless gum consumed an afternoon snack with an average of 45-60 fewer calories than the control group who chewed no gum. Participants were asked to chew the sugarless gum for 15 minutes/hr for 3 hours in the afternoon and others were given no gum. On another day, the participants' situation was reversed. Polling of the participants found that the gum-chewers reported significantly less strength in their cravings for sweet snacks. Cravings for starchy and salty foods grew throughout the afternoon regardless of gum chewing. Lastly, gum-chewing participants reported maintenance of their energy levels during the 3 hours in the afternoon, versus the control whose energy levels declined.