Effects of Chewing Gum on Satiety, Appetite Regulation, Energy Intake, and Weight Loss: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND

New approaches for the management of obesity, a worldwide problem and a major determinant of disability and mortality, are needed. Mastication influences appetite and satiety mechanisms via actual food or sham feeding. However, the effect of mastication of chewing gum, a type of sham feeding, on appetite regulation has not yet been elucidated.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to evaluate the influence of chewing gum on appetite regulation, satiety, energy intake, and weight loss via randomized controlled Trials.

METHODS

This study was conducted in accordance with the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023432699). Electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from July 2023 to September 2024. The quality of each included study was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, RoB 2.

RESULTS

A total of eight articles with nine RCTs were included in this systematic review. Seven out of nine RCTs evaluated appetite regulation. Five out of seven RCTs reported a significant suppressing effect of hunger, three out of five RCTs reported a significant reduction in desire to eat, and three out of four reported a significant reduction in the desire to eat a sweet snack, all of them compared to the control group. However, the effects on satiety, energy intake, and weight loss are not conclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

Chewing gum could be a promising non-pharmacological tool for obesity management through appetite regulation; however, further research, with sustained RCTs evaluating the sustained effects of gum chewing on appetite and weight management, is needed.