Question:
An interesting product for controlling sugar binges
Hi Folks, I've mentioned many times before that my quest for weightloss aids will never end. Every other week I'm trying something new....well I found something by chance. I chew a lot of sugar free gum to avoid some of the mindless munchies, so one day while looking at diet aids I found something called SugarFighter a "dieters gum"...never read the insert, just popped a peice in my mouth...was minty. I got home spit it out, and felt like a "little cereal" (at 8:00 at night btw)...I put some in my mouth and spit it out...I asked my hubby what was wrong with the cereal...He tasted it and said "nothing"...at anyrate, I didn't eat the cereal. I sat down a little later and decided to read about the gum I had been chewing. It didn't claim to be an appetite suppressent, or stop hunger...it actually has an herb in it that attaches to the sweet receptors on your tongue...thus the yucky taste to my cereal. It controls sugar cravings. The affect lasts from 30-60 min, just enough time to stop a binge or head hunger. So I expirimented with the cereal again....tasted fine, chewed the gum for the suggested 3.5 min then the cereal had no taste...WORKED. The cool thing is, I'm a binge eater, and this stopped me dead in my tracks with the sweets (which is what I usually binge on). So I have expirimented (quite slyly) with folks I know...I hand them a small candy bar and tell them to enjoy it...have them chew the gum (which starts to taste nasty after about 4-5 min) and hand them another candy bar (with a grin)...they all react the same way...a bite, then a grimmace , then they throw out the rest... hehehe...I have bought up all the boxes I can find. I have found it in Eckards...you get 12 peices for 3.99 (at least locally in De)...a pack last me about two and a half days...It is kinda like a negative reinforcement thing, and hopefully once I get used to not eating sweets (a must) after dinner, maybe I can let go of my new crutch. At anyrate, I think it's a great product, for those sugar addicts willing to self sabatoge the tongue temporarily. It's been quite helpful for me to gain control. I'll eat a reasonable amt. of a dessert (I wish I could skip, maybe some day) then I chew my gum and I am DONE. Hope this is helpful. -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -140ish — KimBo36 (posted on March 23, 2004)
March 22, 2004
Kimberly: Interesting product. Thanks for sharing. I have often heard
that eating a dill pickle when you are craving sugar will do the same
thing. I guess we might end up eating too many pickles, though. LOL
— Carlita
March 22, 2004
WOW!! That is so cool! I dont crave sugar much ( I still dump thank
goodness) but my hubby does. I have to try it out on him. Heck, I may try
it on the kids too. heehee Thanks for the info. ~Sidney~
— Siddy I.
March 23, 2004
Thanks for the tip. My surgeon forbids gum chewing, I guess in case you
would swallow it accidentally it would cause an obstruction. My husband
could use this though. When he starts eating sweets he can't stop
— Carolyn B.
March 23, 2004
This is really isn't gum...it's an herb that does have something elastic to
bind it...but it falls appart and looks kinda like wet oregano if you chew
it much more than 5 minutes...doesn't remain a hard chewy clump like gum.
— KimBo36
March 23, 2004
The active herb in this gum is Gymnema Sylvestre which has been used not
only to block sugar cravings but to also lower blood sugar levels in
diabetics. You can also buy the herb in capsule form at most health
food/vitamin stores and it is relatively inexpensive. I had given it a try
a while back but did not stay with it. I am going to try the gum to help
with my evening snacking. Thanks!
— SARose61
March 23, 2004
After I read this post I went to Eckerd's on my lunch break and bought
some. I am the biggest sugar-holic. I tried some after lunch and it was
interesting. I didn't get a chance to try sugar right then but I can say
that almost 90 minutes later I took my chewable iron which is sweet tasting
and it tasted pretty bad. I love chocolate and that's where I need to try
it. Maybe there is still hope for me...:D
— Morna B.
March 23, 2004
I am usually skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true.
However, I did a bit of research on the 'net, and after work, I stopped at
the local health food store and picked up some gymnema sylvestri capsules.
Went home and took one. About an hour later, I tried a peanut butter
M&M. Tasted just "okay". I could taste the peanut butter, but
that's about it. Tried another, same thing. Poured myself a Diet Vanilla
Pepsi. It tasted - and I am not kidding - like plain carbonated water! I
sipped on it through the evening, and noticed the effects were gone after
about 4 hours. I think this is something that can really help turn off the
sweet tooth. After the two M&Ms, I didn't want any more, and there are
times I could eat them non-stop. Like another poster said, this could be
something very helpful. Even if the effect is "all in my head" (I
believe it works, so it dose), hey, I'll take that!
— koogy
March 23, 2004
I'd be very careful taking it in capsule form. It has been used in India to
control Diabetes. Gymnema Sylvestre can bring down blood sugar levels. I am
hypoglycemic...all I need is to have my sugar drop (I'd be out for the
count). Chewing it in "gum" form and spitting it out is simply
having the herb coat my tongue where sweet receptors are rendered useless
(lol) for awhile at least. Supplement safely folks! -Kim
— KimBo36
March 23, 2004
Boy, I wish there was something like that for non-sugar carb cravings
(white flour!) If there was, my life would be saved!!
— mom2jtx3
March 24, 2004
Hey, Kimberly- Here is a quote from an article I found on geocities.com:
"It is interesting to note that gymnema extract given to healthy
volunteers does not produce any blood sugar lowering, or hypoglycemic,
effects." The article goes on to talk about a study done using an
extract to treat diabetics, and the effect on their HbA1c's.
This stuff has been used for over 2000 years. Beware also, that anything
you put in your mouth also gets absorbed into your blood stream - that's
why we take B12 sublingually. So chewing the gum is just another way to get
the herb into your digestive system. It doesn't just work on your tongue
because you don't swallow it! Just wanted to let you know - not a flame!
In fact, I really appreciated your information.
— koogy
March 24, 2004
Yes, you do absorb through the mouth (I count all the calories in my
gum!!)...I may be assuming wrongly, but hopefully the tiny bit that we
would be absorbing before spitting out the bulk won't hurt those of us with
hypoglycemia. This is the first time in over a year I feel like I have some
control over sweets, I'm not rendered defenseless against the masses of
boxed donuts and coffee cakes in my office that I have to walk past
daily...I CAN have a piece and don't have to worry about going BONKERS...I
chew my gum, and ewwww no more sweets. I hope you other sugar addicts can
get these results. If I find it starts wrecking havoc with my sugar levels
I'll let you all know. -Kim (can you tell I'm excited, I hardly ever return
to a post)
— KimBo36
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