A team of Japanese researchers suggested a couple of days ago that we can lose weight by only chewing gum and going for walks. For the sake of keeping a healthy body, researchers have experimented on 46 people.
The study had 46 people of ages between 21-69 who chewed gum for science. They monitored the heart rate, and it showed that a natural pace and chewing gum would increase the heart rate.
At the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, the team presented their findings.
It looks like, from all the age groups and genders, the most favorable result in the physical effort was in men over 40. Researchers stated that:
“Combining exercise and gum chewing may be an effective way to manage weight.”
In Japan, walking is the “most widely performed movement.”
Other research shows that gum chewing will boost heart rate and people can consume the energy even while resting. The authors wanted to write a first of its kind study to show the connection between chewing gum and walking and gather the results.
The volunteers in the study walked for 15 minutes in two trials.
The first trial consisted of chewing two pellets of gum, which account for 3 kilocalories. The second trial, volunteers ingested a powder that had the same ingredients as the gum.
Then, the researchers measured the heart rate as the participants rested and as they started walking. They also measured the distance volunteers covered at a natural pace, the walking speed and how many steps they took.
The results showed that all participants that chewed gum had a “significantly higher” heart rate.
Men over 40 that chewed gum and walked had an increase of distance walked, of the number of steps taken and the energy they consumed.
The study’s aim was not to explain the connection between chewing gum and walking. But the researchers believe that it could be because the heart will beat in rhythm with a repetitive movement, a process called “cardio-locomotor synchronization,” and that chewing gum somehow helps it.
Researchers agree that: “Effective preventive methods and treatments for obesity are needed.”
Their study was recently published in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.