Gum that curbs sugar cravings wins Vitafoods Europe Startup award

Photo from Sweet Victory Ltd.

Foodtech startup Sweet Victory Ltd. (Tel Aviv) was one of the recipients of this year’s Vitafoods Europe Startup awards. The Vitafoods Europe trade show was held last week in Geneva, Switzerland. Sweet Victory was awarded for a botanical chewing gum designed to curb sugar cravings and support weight loss.

The Sweet Victory Zip Up Your Sugar Craving gum contains gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre). According to the company’s press release, “The plant extract in the chewy composition functions by blocking the taste receptors for sweetness. It also slows intestinal absorption of sugars. After just two minutes of chewing, sweet flavors become blunted, and the immediate desire for a confectionery diminishes.”

Sweet Victory also conducted a consumer study on the product, in which more than 80% of participants reporting having cut down on their sweets intake after chewing the gum, which ultimately resulted in “measurable weight loss in 9 out of every 10 patients.”

This two-week trial was conducted by New Sense Research, which specializes in sensory analysis of products and services. During the at-home experiment, 80 participants aged 25-45 were instructed to chew the gum at least three times per day, either after or between meals or “whenever a sugar craving emerged.” The consumers weighed themselves daily and also completed a daily questionnaire.

“Among the 80 participants, a remarkable 87% reported experiencing weight loss, at an average 1.3 kilos per 2 weeks,” the company’s press release states. Moreover, “80% of the participants significantly reduced their consumption of sweets by the trial’s end and reported having had ‘better control’ of their food choices.