Their solution: a fast-acting, first-of-its-kind chewing gum that co-founder and psychologist Gitit Lahav said “works on both a physical and a psychological level.”
She explained in a release that “most people crave something sweet at certain times of the day, usually after lunch and at night. Over time, it becomes an automatic instinct that makes the habit even harder to break.”
But she says chewing Sweet Victory gum “at those challenging moments can slowly break bad habits and help build better, healthier habits” thanks in part to its key ingredient, gymnema, which goes to work within two minutes of chewing.
Also known as gurmar, Hindi for “sugar destroyer,” the botanical physically blocks the perception of sweet because its atomic structure is similar to glucose, allowing it to fill the same receptor locations so that sweet foods taste bland, sour or just off enough to stop people from giving into their sugar cravings.
The effect lasts for roughly two-hours – long enough to help people push through challenging moments during which they might rely on sugar as an emotional crutch – but without altering their taste perception long-term.
Flipping the script on sweet
While the gymnema leaf is often chewed in India for this benefit, it is “very bitter and unpleasant,” Sweet Victory COO and co-founder Shimrit Lev told FoodNavigator-USA.
Recognizing that most people wouldn’t reach for something bitter when they wanted something sweet, Lev said that she and Lahav worked for two years “to reach the right formulation that masked the bitterness of the herb without derogating its effectiveness.”