You have seen the hoodia chewing gums and so on, all claiming to suppress your appetite.  What if this actually had some substance to it?  Obviously, as far as science is concerned, hoodia has no application.  So you could probably go really cheap and cheaper than any hoodia supplemenet.  But chewing a piece of gum has actually been shown to suppress your appetite.  We have seen it used successfully to help you stop smoking, though you may become addicted to the action of chewing gum.  It has been used to combat bad breath in some cases or just blow bubbles in others or give you a pleasant taste.  But too much sugar can interrupt your dental hygiene. 

            But studies have shown bubble gum to have extra benefits.  First of all, it can suppress your appetite.  The chewing action among other things with a 5-10 calorie piece of chewing gum can burn calories and raise your metabolic rate and suppress appetite.  With 100 chews per minute, you can increase your metabolic rate by 20%.  Theoretically, you could lose about 11 pounds in a year just by doing this.

            Second, it has been shown to improve brain power.  Apparently chewing stimulates the brain in areas of concentration, memory, and focus.  It apparently increases the heart rate and blood pressure, therefore delivering a higher amount of blood and oxygen to the brain.  It therefore helps the left and right side to work together. 

            Third, it has been shown to ease stress and tension.  Who needs a stress ball when you have chewing gum!  It can relieve muscle tension, and stress again by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the muscles.  It is given in field and combat rations in the US Armed forces for this reason. 

            So of course choose sugar free options.  But a chewing gum can provide you with more than just a way to pass the time in your mouth.  It won’t have the substantial effect of some fat burners of appetite suppressants.  But it is certainly cheaper.