Chew sugar-free gum, lose weight and learn the joys of abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea

Reuters reported on January 12th that British researchers have linked some cases of chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain to an artificial sweetener frequently found in sugar-free gums. The report, issued in the British Medical Journal, found that Sorbitol, which is actually a known laxative can cause frequent chewers to experience severe weight loss. The two patients in question were found to be chewing 15 to 20 sticks per day.

Now, I am a frequent opponent to artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, NutraSweet, Saccharin and Sorbitol. They're just not natural and none of them has gotten a 100% bill of approval from the medical community.

I believe that unless you are diabetic and cannot live without your chewing gum, you really don't even need it. The quantity of sugar in a stick of regular chewing gum will not be enough to hurt you nor make you gain any weight. And if a person thinks that drinking a diet soda will reduce their chances of getting health problems, they might not have done much research on the negatives of soda in general.

My advice? Drink more water, eat smaller portions, and excercise at least once a week. But I'll let you know if I am ever able to follow this advice myself.