In the early years of chewing, many people were surprised that gums were more fattening than other foods. Researchers now do not know why but suspect gum is partially responsible for the lipoprotein changes you experience—the higher it is, the more the lipoproteins are damaged. However, you’ll have to chew your gum, as it will do some gum production too. For more about the possible benefits of chewing gum in the early years of life, see How can I keep my teeth healthy?—a blog post from a health and dental expert in the United Kingdom.
Can I chew a sugar-free diet like Weight Watchers to avoid cholesterol changes?
Many Americans consider dietary fat a bad idea and are trying to lose weight. This is in part because of the misinformation about saturated fat and cholesterol. But many people still try to shed pounds by chewing or even eating sugar, which in fact has very little to do with heart disease prevention. The same is true for sugar-free diet plans like Weight Watchers. The American Heart Association (AHA) warns people about “low energy foods” like candy, pastries, desserts, and even sugary drinks. They are a good reason to avoid foods that are high in sugars and fats.
Some people do chew all day, but most people do not or do so less often. (See Healthy Chewing on a Sugar-Free Diet, a blog post from the American Diabetes Association.) For the record, however, I don’t chew sugar-free gum because I don’t want to have the sugar I get from gum in my system.
Why is it hard for adults to maintain a normal blood sugar level of 100 mg/dL—not to mention keeping their blood pressure (that can affect blood sugar) in an acceptable range?
When you are hungry, and your blood sugar level is higher than 100 mg/dL, your body responds by producing insulin, which is an energy-dense hormone that breaks down carbohydrate and insulin. These actions cause your blood sugar level to drop. If you eat more and/or have a higher weight, it can affect your glucose, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor or IGF-1 (or a similar hormone).
If your insulin action is not working properly—meaning the protein being broken down in blood sugar is not being used as efficiently as it can be—your body can end up having a hard time releasing insulin. This can make your blood sugar go up, which