Can You Chew Gum While Fasting? 4 Facts To Know
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As we are in the middle of a global obesity epidemic, more than 40% of adults worldwide are on a weight loss journey. Intermittent fasting, also sometimes referred to as IF, is quickly becoming the favorite diet for anyone on a weight loss plan. If you’re a newcomer to the intermittent fasting bandwagon, you’re probably facing a ton of confusion as to how to execute this diet perfectly for optimal results. One common question experts get all the time is: Can you chew gum while fasting? Here is your answer.
Does Gum Break Your Fast?
An average piece of gum usually contains around 11 calories, along with 2 grams of sugar. While this is not a very significant amount of energy, in the long run, chewing gum technically does break your fast. Many tend to chew several pieces of gum throughout their day, which can lead to calories stacking up in their body and experiencing spikes in insulin, which can lead to more fat being stored in the body. This could lead to them backtracking in progress as they continue with their intermittent fasting routine.
Does Sugar-Free Gum Break Your Fast?
Upon learning that the sugar content in a typical piece of gum can break your fast, you may be wondering about how intermittent fasting rules apply to sugar-free gum. Unfortunately, if you think that sugar-free or zero-calorie gum is a smart workaround for intermittent fasting rules, such products can still potentially break your fast. This is because sugar-free gums commonly use artificial sweeteners or flavoring as a substitute for sugar, which provides the sweet taste of gum without packing on the carbohydrates. However, sugar-free sweeteners may still trigger your body’s insulin response, causing insulin spikes despite not containing any actual sugar. Thus, while regular sugar-free gum contains fewer calories, it may technically breaks your fast as regular gum does. Fortunately, UnCrave Gum has zero calories and does not contain those artificial sweeteners which typically triggers an insulin response.
Effects of Gum Related to Fasting
Calories aside, chewing gum while intermittent fasting does provide certain benefits that can contribute toward more effective weight loss as long as you avoid chewing multiple sticks of gum, as well as gums with high added sugar content. For example, chewing gum can reduce hunger and appetite, which is especially important when you’re fasting to ensure you remain to fast for longer. If you have trouble sticking to your fast, you may want to consider chewing gum as a solution to those problems such as cravings, hunger pangs, and overeating. Thankfully, chewing gum in moderation is unlikely to produce insulin spikes, so you may opt to chew gum to curb your hunger.
What Else Can You Have While Fasting?
If you’re looking for other ways to satiate your cravings to complement chewing gum, consider taking advantage of the various beverage options on the market. Whether you’re a fan of sparkling water or bagged tea, there’s likely a zero-calorie and zero-sugar version of it out there that you can pick up during your next grocery run.
Interested in chewing gum as a guilt-free way to support your intermittent fasting routine? Check out our appetite suppressant gum, which keeps your hunger at bay to keep your diet on track!