Does chewing gum break a fast?
Fasting means you don’t eat or drink anything for a certain period. There are different ways fasting can be done depending on the reason for the fast, which could be fasting for blood sugar, intermittent fasting, or Ramadan. What you eat or drink during a fast depends on how strict you are about it.
Does chewing g break a fast? Let’s find out.
WHAT DOES GUM CONTAIN?
Generally, one piece of regular gum provides 11 calories and weighs about 3g. Some bubble gums can provide up to 30 calories per serving.
The nutritional profile of an average piece of chewing gum looks like this:
- Fat: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Carbohydrate: 2.1gof which sugar: 2g
DOES CHEWING GUM BREAK A FAST?
Although these values may seem insignificant, it does break a fast when you stack about 2 or more pieces of chewing gum and spent all day eating them. Imagine buying bubble gum that provides 30 calories per serving and eating about 3 of it a day while you are fasting. That is 90 calories and if you are doing a water fast, consuming that much calories or any calorie at all, breaks a fast.
DOES CHEWING GUM AFFECT BLOOD SUGAR?
The hormone insulin is responsible for transporting sugar from your bloodstream to your cells so that it can be used as fuel. Fasting is supposed to reduce insulin levels by not providing the body with any sugar to work on for some time.
Some studies show that chewing an average piece of gum with only 2g of sugar may not affect blood sugar levels. So if the blood sugar level is not increased, insulin drops while fasting and chewing gum. Chewing gum then may actually not break a fast, however, this depends on the number of gums you chew and the type of fast.
DOES CHEWING SUGAR-FREE GUM BREAK A FAST?
Talking about how chewing gum could increase insulin levels if you chew more than a piece of sugar is the problem in chewing gum while fasting, what about sugar-free options? The artificial and natural sweeteners contained in sugar-free gums may not cause a rise in blood sugar levels, due to the lack of macronutrients in them, and also, they are mostly calories free.
Blood sugar levels rise when insulin is activated, however, insulin can be activated with sweeteners without raising blood sugar, and although they do not trigger insulin secretion in the same way as everyone, artificial and natural sweeteners can technically break a fast.
Some sugar-free gums are made with sugar alcohols such as Xylitol and Sorbitol. Xylitol is not calorie-free, they stimulate digestion and hence can break a fast. It may be written “sugar-free” on the label, but be sure to check the contents.
DOES CHEWING GUM BREAK A FAST BEFORE A BLOOD TEST?
Doctors ask their patients to fast before a blood test, usually 8-12 hours beforehand. Not all blood test required you to fast though, however, those that require a fast such as blood glucose test, blood cholesterol test, and iron blood test, requires an 8-12 hours fast before the test is carried out to ensure accurate results and chewing gum can affect the levels of your blood glucose, hence altering the results.
Be it a sugar-free gum or not, if you are going for a blood test, you would avoid chewing gum. Not only does it alter results by increasing blood sugar levels, but it can also speed up the digestion process and that alters the blood test result. A broken fast before a blood test will be processed in your digestive system, which speeds it up, and then flows to the bloodstream, hence affecting your blood result.
CAN YOU CHEW GUM WHILE FASTING BEFORE A SURGERY?
It is well to know that patients who are to go for surgery should avoid eating or drinking anything before the time of the surgery, to help prevent complications while under anesthesia.
The reason the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) recommends fasting for a specific period before the administration of anesthesia is to prevent the risk of pulmonary aspiration. Pulmonary aspiration is a serious complication whereby the contents of the stomach are drawn into the respiratory tract during breathing.
Casting helps to keep the stomach content and acidity low, thereby preventing pulmonary aspiration, so chewing gum before surgery then was not allowed. But in a recent study, it was discovered that patients who chew gum before surgery may safely be operated on because while chewing gum increases the production of saliva and the stomach’s liquid content, it does not affect the level of the stomach’s acidity in such a way that it could cause complications during surgery.
DOES CHEWING GUM BREAK A FAST IN KETOSIS?
For those who are into ketosis, chewing gum help decrease hunger and appetite and make you stick better to your fast. Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when the body burns fat instead of carbohydrate for energy. Now, most chewing gums are packed with loads of sugar or artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients that can not only ruin the purpose of ketosis but could also be bad for your overall health.
- Pur Gum: It is organic, vegan, sugar-free, aspartame-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. Perfect for ketosis.
- Epic Dental: It is all-natural, contains no sugar or aspartame, is gluten-free, and has low carb (0g).
- Zellie’s Pepermint Gum: It is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and contains no artificial sweetener for preservatives.
DOES CHEWING GUM BREAK A FAST? CATHOLICS
According to the Cannon law of the Catholics, you are to abstain from all foods and drinks except water or medicine for at least an hour before receiving the holy communion. This is for spiritual reasons. To remind Catholics of how special the Eucharist is, and of its nourishing power. However, the Canon law does not state precisely what constitutes food, and so, some may argue that chewing sugar-free gums before receiving holy communion is alright, since it does not add any nutritional value to the body.
Bear in mind though, that that particular Canon law is there mainly as a reminder of man’s spirituality, as “man shall not live by bread alone” (Matt 4:4). It also reminds you of the essence of the Eucharist. It is not mainly about eating or not eating. It is about according to reference. So if you feel chewing gum before receiving holy communion does not take away the reference, then, by all means, chew. For some priests, this is tolerable, but for others it is wrong.
DOES CHEWING GUM BREAK A FAST? ISLAM
Ramadan is a period of fasting and an important part of the Islamic calenders. During this time, Muslims are required to pray 5 times daily, fast, and do works of charity. There are a lot of do’s and don’ts of the Ramadan period, and people begin to wonder if the simplest thing as chewing gum can break the fast.
Yes, it can. Chewing gum during Ramadan is not allowed because even if you do not swallow the gum after chewing, the sugar and other ingredients that make up the gum enter the body through your saliva and this is considered eating. The general rule is that so long as it is not consumed and does not pass the throat, then it is allowed during Ramadan.
ALTERNATIVES TO CHEWING GUM WHILE FASTING
Instead of worrying about if chewing g can break your fast or what type of gum you can chew that would not break your fast, here are a few alternative things you can do that will not break your fast and yet keep your mouth busy while you fast:
- Drink water
- Sip on tea
- ginger tea
- green tea
- Drink black coffee
- Drink lemon water
All these are safe drinking options as you can see. After all the key to a successful fast is to stay hydrated.
CONCLUSION
If chewing gum while on a fast can break it depends on what type of fast you are on, and how many pieces of gum you are chewing, because chewing a gum that provides about 20-30 calories in one serving might not be breaking a fast like intermittent fasting, but consuming that same gum 3 times, giving you triple of its caloric content, is as good as eating.
REFERENCES
Can You Chew Gun and Still Get The Benefits of Fasting? healthinsider.news Date fetched: April 25, 2022
Chewing Gum Breaks A Fast? 21dayhero.com Date fetched: April 25, 2022