Aspartame in Gum and Sugar Free Candy -- Does it matter???

How many of you use gum and s/f candy in between meals to help stop eating caloric foods?  I think they help me sometimes especially if I drink with glass of water.  I am aware it contains aspartame which is shown to cause weight gain. Your thoughts please.  Thanks in advance for all replies. 

Hi Molly, I do chew SF gum, not often but I have some on my computer desk and some in my purse. I find it helpful to distract my cravings...its hard to eat a cookie  or bread with a piece of gum in your mouth.

I have heard chewing gum gets your digestive juices prepared to receive food, lets your stomach know food is coming. It can be a way of warding off hunger for  a short period of time.

I also have SF hard candies that I keep on hand when I have to have something sweet. I choose very hard candies because anything that is soft and chewable I find I will eat out of control rather than a treat and that's not a good thing.

As for the aspartame I personally don't worry about it. It's aspartame or sugar both can cause weight gain, actually the only thing that's guaranteed not to cause weight gain is water.

LOL!  yes water will not add a pound......    Thank you.  I realized I should have stated that I meant had candies.  and I did mean hard s/f candy. 

I chew sugar free gum and I agree with Bev the aspartame is one of the artificial sweeteners. I use Splenda, I have a condition where I have SVT that's a rapid heart beat, and the Aspartame aggravates that.

Melva