Is It Ok to Chew Gum While Fasting or Does It Break Your Fast?

While fasting isn’t a new concept, the rules for fasting may vary depending on the type and your reason for the fast. Certain activities like chewing gum may fall into a gray area. 

Read on, though, to find out everything you need to know about fasting, how chewing gum affects fasting, the health benefits of chewing gum, and more.

Chewing gum is a soft and rubbery substance that’s suitable for chewing but not for swallowing. Chewing gum is usually made of: 

• Fillers: Give gum its texture 
• Flavoring: Natural or artificial substances that give gum its specific taste (e.g., mint or fruit flavoring)
• Gum: Forms the rubbery base
• Preservatives: Give gum an extended shelf-life
• Resin: Strengthens gum and keeps it from falling apart 
• Softeners: Prevent gum from hardening by retaining moisture 
• Sweeteners: Give gum its sweet flavor

Each stick of chewing gum usually contains 11 calories. If you’re chewing sugar-free gum, it probably contains around 6 calories. Sugar-free gums use sugar alcohols (like xylitol) or artificial sweeteners (like aspartame) to lower the caloric value.

Although most chewing gums only provide a few calories, some high-calorie variants of chewing gum are also available on the market. These may contain additional high-calorie sugars or flavorings. 

Certain health benefits are associated with this gooey treat. Chewing gum:

Helps with managing hunger

In one study, chewing gum for 30 minutes while fasting was found to increase satiety and stabilize the levels of a hormone (GLP-1) that decreases appetite. Chewing sugar-free gum for an hour while fasting also reduced hunger in another study, which means that gum can help you eat less and prevent overeating in the next meal after fasting.

The act of chewing was observed to decrease appetite and minimize your focus on food, which can prevent you from breaking your fast by eating impulsively.

Thus, chewing gum can control hunger and decrease appetite, which is beneficial when you’re fasting.

Enhances oral health

Chewing gum increases the production of saliva. This saliva protects your mouth (especially your gums) from decay and erosion. Additional saliva may also wash away lingering food and harmful sugars that feed bad oral bacteria, as well as the microbial build-up in your teeth.

More specifically, one of the most common sweetening agents in sugar-free gum is xylitol, which stops the growth of harmful oral bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth decay. According to research, xylitol-sweetened gum can decrease the number of bad bacteria in your mouth by up to 75%.

Thus, chewing sugar-free gum may be better for your teeth and your fast.

Reduces stress and improves memory

Chewing gum can help you stay alert if you feel sleepy or tired. It can also boost your memory by increasing the blood flow to your brain.

Research shows that chewing gum can enhance brain function by improving alertness, memory, decision-making, and understanding. It can also improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. 

While chewing gum may seem like a distraction initially, it can actually help you focus for longer periods.

Thus, chewing gum may help you stay alert while performing daily fast activities.

Because of the low amounts of calories in most chewing gums (especially sugar-free gums), chewing gum is unlikely to break your low-calorie fast regardless of the stringent restrictions (like those of a water fast). Still, make sure to check the label to avoid consuming high-calorie chewing gums that could derail your fast.

Chewing gum also doesn’t affect your insulin and blood sugar levels while you are fasting. It can even support your fasting efforts by decreasing your hunger and appetite levels.

If you’re engaged in intermittent fasting as part of a health regimen, chewing gum may even boost your weight loss efforts by increasing your metabolic rate and helping you burn more calories while performing activities like walking. 

Additionally, although chewing gum can increase the levels of fluid in your stomach, this change is not significant enough to require the cancellation of a medical procedure. So, even if you accidentally end up chewing gum before surgery, be sure to tell your doctor but don’t worry because you most likely haven’t broken your fast.

Finally, if you need to stay alert while fasting (e.g., if you’re working, driving, or studying), chewing gum can decrease your tiredness.

Thus, chewing gum while fasting for nutritional purposes is more than acceptable: It may even be beneficial in some cases. Just remember to follow good oral hygiene procedures like regular flossing and proper brushing to prevent any harmful effects of chewing gum like cavities.