The Gummy Bear Diet: Can It Help You Lose Weight?

Gummy bears aren’t exactly diet food, but the Gummy Bear Diet is the real thing. Also known as the Gummy Bear Cleanse, the gummy bear diet is based on the laxative effects of sugarless gummy bears. This diet program was accidentally discovered by someone who no doubt ate copious amounts of this candy to the point where it triggered diarrhea.

Sugarless gummy bears contain a sweetening agent called lycasin. This sugar substitute is also known as maltitol. It’s often used in sugar-free gums and sweets for diabetics. Although widely used, some people are sensitive to lycasin. It’s not absorbed by the body very well and it doesn’t break down completely either.

While lycasin is beneficial among diabetics with massive sweet tooth, it could cause gastrointestinal discomforts when taken in high amounts. If ingested in high amounts, lycasin doubles as a laxative. Amazon was quick to profit from the detoxifying effects of Haribo sugarless Gummy Bears by offering them in five-pound packaging. The fact that this product has been sold out many times speaks volume of the diet program’s popularity.

How Does the Gummy Bear Diet Works

The diet program is very straightforward. You just need to eat more than a dozen Haribo Sugarless Gummy Bears. You need to consume more than 100 milligrams of lycasin to achieve loose bowel movement.

Health experts say that an individual should not eat more than 15 gummy bears in one sitting unless you are trying to detoxify the intestines. While lycasin isn’t dangerous, health experts recommend adopting this diet program only when you’re not traveling. Some people who do not know the exasperating effects of eating more than a dozen sugarless gummy bears end up needing more bathroom breaks than usual.

But is it effective?

The Gummy bear diet isn’t as effective as other types of diet programs simply because it depends on loose bowel movement to “lose” weight. As such, you don’t really lose any weight. You just got lighter because the intestines aren’t congested with waste.

Gummy bears are virtually fat-free and contain very little protein, about three grams in 15 pieces. Protein is a great appetite suppressor. It takes a while to digest this nutrient so you feel fuller for longer. So to a certain extent, this candy can help stave off hunger.

However, most of this candy’s caloric content is from carbohydrates. Gummy bears contain simple carbohydrates, not the healthier complex carbohydrates. Gummy bears do not contain vitamins and minerals as well.

Gummy bears – sugarless or not – will not provide the right kind of nutrition you need for the day. It’s a candy treat that offers empty calories. And if you must eat it, do so in moderation. As a weight loss program, there is not enough evidence to back up its “accidental” weight loss benefits. Because gummy bears are considered as junk food, it should be taken as an occasional treat, not as a ticket to a slimmer body.