Israeli start-up Sweet Victory produces chewing gum that aims to silence sugar cravings in consumers. The ingredient used, known as gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre), originates from India and possesses “sugar destroying” properties. Co-founder of Sweet Victory, Gitit Lahav, explains, “Gymnema Sylvestre has been used in ayurvedic medicine for over two thousand years and is considered a valuable plant due to its properties. In ancient medicine, Gymnema Sylvestre has been used to treat a variety of issues, including maintaining well-being and treating excess weight. This plant also contains active compounds that can help to reduce sugar absorption in the body.” The chewing gum works to block the taste receptors for sweetness, as well as slowing the intestinal absorption of sugars.
Sweet Victory conducted a home study using 80 people between the ages of 25-45 over a two-week period. Participants chewed Sweet Victory gum three times a day, either after meals or when they had a sugar craving. They were also instructed to weigh themselves each day. Results showed that even after the first day, 53% of people had a reduced sugar craving, increasing to 79% by day four. By the end of the study, 87% of the subjects had lost weight; the average loss was 1.3kg over the two weeks. Furthermore, 80% of participants ate less sweets and felt they had more control over their food choices.
Sweet Victory founder Gitit Lahav explains, “The gum works on two levels – physiological and psychological. Physically, the product has an immediate effect on the body. After chewing the gum, the active ingredients immediately begin to take effect. When we eat sugary foods, our taste buds are stimulated, and we experience the sweet taste that we have come to expect and enjoy. However, when chewing our gum, the sweet taste is blocked, which means that we won’t experience the same level of satisfaction from sugary foods. The effect will last up to 2 hours.”
The psychological aspect of the Sweet Victory gum also holds importance for breaking bad habits. Lahav states, “Most people crave something sweet at certain times of the day, for example, immediately after having lunch. Over time, these cravings become automatic and are very hard to change. Chewing the SV gum at those times may slowly break our bad habits and help us re-build better and healthier habits.”
Sweet Victory’s gum is made from plant-based ingredients, designed to provide a specific benefit to the user and is not comparable to regular chewing gum. The gum’s sweet flavour, like in ordinary chewing gum, becomes dull after two minutes of chewing. Sweet Victory currently offers flavours such as peppermint, spearmint, bubble-gum and watermelon, but the company is currently exploring the addition of new flavours to the range.
