A study conducted by German researchers tracked the diets of two participants who were suffering from extreme diarrhea, abdominal pain, and unintended weight loss. After inconclusive investigations into the cause of their ailments, doctors finally evaluated their diets, which included large amounts of sorbitol every day (about 20 sticks of sugar-free gum and up to 200 grams of sweets per day, for a total of about 30 grams of sorbitol). When these participants curbed their sorbitol intake, their symptoms disappeared.

This sweetener, which is widely used in sugarless gums and deserts, is poorly absorbed by the small intestine. In high doses, it has a laxative effect potent enough to cause gastrointestinal problems including diarrhea, as well as weight loss of up to 20 percent of a person’s normal body weight.

Is this the weight-loss solution everyone has been awaiting? Probably not, since, although laxatives have been a weight-loss staple for decades, they generally cause a loss of water weight, not fat. Moreover, it appears that the participants in this study weren’t exactly enjoying their weight loss; they were enslaved to it and practically bound to the toilet. And one has to wonder, why were they chewing 20 sticks of gum a day in the first place?

So, chew 20 sticks of sugarless gum a day to relieve constipation, but stick to diet and exercise to reach a healthy weight.