Wow, thank you, Dan! You really seem to have put much work into this.
The results are quite interesting - but as I understood it they refered to solid foods. Whether gum “replaces” liquid foods is a different question, as the latter involves no chewing which could be replaced by anything else.
The sweeteners may also play a role - maybe some are better than others (for example xylitol versus aspartame).
Taste activates the vagus nerve, which in turn activates secretion of digestive juices, which may increase appetite.
Maybe there is a high difference between individuals. Appetite is such a complex phenomenon that it is hard to do the right things with regard to its control.
Nevertheless the - theoretically - best strategy might be training your mind not to crave sweet things in the first place - regardless of whether you are hungry or not. But this is far more difficult than just chewing or drinking something. Advice is appreciated here, too…
Now this is an interesting/extremely random morning read… And the names of the books Breath VS Jaws! One sounds like a horror movie, one is a horror movie lol!
I have done no reading, but do suffer from lock jaw and grinding at night due to stress (a little, and it’s an assumption it’s stress) and I’ve had a friend who’s actually had Botox due to TMJD - temporomandibular joint or temporomandibular joint disorder… again I haven’t done my research on whether this is a good or a really bad idea…
The discussion on strengthening ones facial muscles in the jaw area did make me think, that if TMJD is actually a thing, I wonder if one could strengthen their muscles if it would be in fact bad for sufferers, or even night grinders…
Just a little bit of uneducated food for thought… makes me think that one should most definitely consult a professional in the area if you’re trying to make changes or suffering any issues
No me neither to be honest. Like you the only thing I use gum for is dental hygiene.
Yes you’re right, I couldn’t find any studies referring to liquids but if there were it would likely be things like sodas which also miss the mark. If I had to guess I don’t see why the effects of chewing gum would be different for liquid vs solid calories, I don’t think chewing gum would have any effect on the amount of liquid calories consumed.
I think this is spot on and why studies often don’t find an effect.
@JamesCollier has read Jaws so can help you out here more than I can Bruce. Grinding at night can be due to stress and you can get guards to help prevent damage to your teeth.
Hi @bruce - although I didn’t actually think Jaws was a great book (waffley, repetitive, could have said what it needed to say in <50 pages), it did give some advice on jaw health. Most of it related to how to hold your jaw on rest, including when going to sleep.
Regarding cravings…do you feel that some flavours or some sweeteners (eg xylitol instead of sucralose or aspartame) work better than others to ward them off? Or would you rather use sugar free hard sweets that you suck instead of chew…to avoid increasing saliva production or vagus activation from chewing?
Good question! I wouldn’t recommend one flavour or sweetener over another. I think it’s personal preference. One person may ward off sweet cravings by tasting something sweet, whereas for another person that would only increase the strength of their cravings.