Results of a new clinical pilot study reveal that chewing Sweet Victory gum could help patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) reduce sweet snacking by more than half. The functional chewing gum, formulated with powdered leaves of the Gymnema sylvestre plant was designed by Sweet Victory, Ltd. to help consumers strengthen their resistance to sugary temptations. The formulation works by temporarily modulating sweet taste perception.
Led by Roy Eldor, PhD, the randomised, double-blind trial involved volunteers with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who were struggling to keep their consumption of sweets in check. The study participants were instructed to chew on Sweet Victory gum or a placebo three times a day over a period of two weeks and at times when the urge for sweet binging was the strongest.
Gymnema, the botanical sugar modulator
Each piece of mint-flavoured Sweet Victory chewing gum is infused with Gymnema leaf powder. The ancient Indian botanical was prized in Ayurvedic medicine for its positive effect on metabolic balance and ability to naturally counteract the appetite for sweets.
“This pilot trial – actually an investigator-initiated study – was conducted on patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as this is a population for whom controlling sugar intake is especially critical,” informs Gitit Lahav, CEO and co-founder of Sweet Victory. “The study’s researchers were prompted by the recognition of Gymnema’s potential benefits for diabetic patients. Sweet Victory gum represents a sensory-based behavioral nutritional intervention that has potential to help people break the sugar habit and make better food choices in the long-term.”
The new study, published March 2026 in the Journal of Diabetes Epidemiology and Management, was conducted at the Institute of Endocrinology, Metabolism, Hypertension, and Diabetes at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Pre-trial questionnaires and food diaries were collected from candidates to assess their sweets intake and determine their eligibility for participation in the trial. The participants who passed the screening had their blood glucose levels measured continuously from baseline throughout the two weeks of the intervention by means of continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM). Daily total sweet food consumption was assessed by completing food diaries and questionnaires.
Results showed that, while there were no significant short-term differences in the glycemic parameters between the Sweet Victory and placebo groups, those who chewed Sweet Victory gum cut their consumption of sugary treats by more than 50%.
Sweet Victory over sweetness perception
Participants in the SVG reported a noticeable change in the flavour of sweet foods, with some finding them bland and less appealling. Moreover, the SVG group also reported feeling more in control of their food choices.
Both modern research and centuries of traditional use recognize Gymnema’s ability to help suppress the perception of sweetness and reduce the desire for sugary foods. Scientists determined the structure of the human sweet taste receptor which is a protein complex on the surface of the tongue’s taste receptor cells that detect sweetness. Sugars bind to this receptor, activating it and signaling a sweet sensation to the brain.
This mechanism is believed to be behind the modulation in taste perception by Sweet Victory’s proprietary formulation. It acts by blocking the sugar receptors on the tongue and dulling the perception of sweetness. The effect has been shown to last for up to two hours.
“This study highlights the potential of using Sweet Victory’s innovative gum as a behavioral tool that could help reduce sweet cravings and the consumption of sugary foods,” asserts Assaf Buch, PhD, a senior researcher and lecturer at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical center and the Nutritional Sciences Department at Ariel University. “Such an approach may be particularly relevant for individuals at risk of metabolic disease, including those with prediabetes for whom reducing sugar intake is a key preventive strategy.”
