BACKGROUND: New approaches for the management of obesity, a worldwide problem and a major determinant of disability and mortality, are needed. Mastication influences appetite and satiety mechanisms via actual food or sham feeding. However, the effect of mastication of chewing gum, a type of sham feeding, on appetite regulation has not yet been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to evaluate the influence of chewing gum on appetite regulation, satiety, energy intake, and weight loss via randomized controlled Trials. METHODS: This study was conducted in accordance with the 2020 PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023432699). Electronic databases MEDLINE RESULTS: A total of eight articles with nine RCTs were included in this systematic review. Seven out of nine RCTs evaluated appetite regulation. Five out of seven RCTs reported a significant suppressing effect of hunger, three out of five RCTs reported a significant reduction in desire to eat, and three out of four reported a significant reduction in the desire to eat a sweet snack, all of them compared to the control group. However, the effects on satiety, energy intake, and weight loss are not conclusive. CONCLUSIONS: Chewing gum could be a promising non-pharmacological tool for obesity management through appetite regulation
however, further research, with sustained RCTs evaluating the sustained effects of gum chewing on appetite and weight management, is needed.