(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People who chewed sugarless gum in the morning reduced their calorie intake at lunch by 68 calories. Despite consuming fewer calories at lunch, participants did not report greater hunger and did not compensate by increasing their calorie intake later in the day.

When participants chewed gum, they reported feeling less hungry than when they did not chew gum. When they chewed gum at a relaxed, natural pace before and after eating, their energy expenditure increased by approximately 5 percent.

According to Kathleen J. Melanson, Ph.D., R.D., Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, who led the research study, one hour of relaxed gum chewing over half a day could "save" about 62 kilocalories. Nutritionists report that even small changes in caloric intake can have a significant impact in the long term.

SOURCE: Presented at The Obesity Society's Annual Scientific Meeting, Washington, D.C. October 27, 2009