Gum Chewing Found to Boost Brainpower, Memory

Reuters Health via Yahoo ^ | Jeremy Laurence

[Pharmboy]

LONDON (Reuters) - The often-maligned act of chewing gum could in fact make us smarter, according to British research.

A joint study carried out by the University of Northumbria and the Cognitive Research Unit, Reading, has found that chewing gum has a positive effect on thinking, memory and other cognitive tasks.

"The results were extremely clear and specifically we found that chewing gum targeted memory," Andrew Scholey of the university's Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit said. "People recalled more words and performed better in tests on working memory."

Peppermint gum, menthol or spearmint--it makes no difference. The key is the repetitive chewing motion.

Scholey, who was to present his findings to a symposium at the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Blackpool Wednesday, said the improved performance in a range of memory tests could be attributed to an increase in heart rate coupled with a surge in insulin to the brain.

The experiments involved 75 people split into groups of non-chewers, real chewers and "sham" chewers.

Prior to undergoing the 25-minute test, the two chewing groups spent 3 minutes working their real or imaginary gum around their mouths.

Scholey said the tests included questions relating to short-term memory, such as recalling words and pictures, and so-called working memory, for example the ability to retain a person's telephone number. He said the heart rate of the real chewers after the tests was three beats per minute faster than the non-chewers, and 1.5 beats per minute faster than the sham chewers.

"What we think is that the mild increase in heart rate may improve the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain, enough to improve cognitive function," he told Reuters.

Scholey added the other possibility was that chewing gum induced a surge of insulin due to the mouth watering in anticipation of a meal.

"It is known that there are insulin receptors in areas of the brain which are important for learning and memory," he said.

[Pharmboy]

My question: What made these crazy Brits look into this in the first place?

[weikel]

Im starting a class action law suit against are public school system for not letting us chew gum and thus stunting are brain power.( lol)

[weikel]

are=our you see what the public school system did to me lol.

[Pharmboy]

LOL!! I'll join that suit...and y'know, it's us Americans that are known as gum-cheweres. They only recently started to chew gum on the continent. But they'll never catch up.

HA!

[JenB]

One of the more bizarre things to study... can't they just go cure cancer or something?

[Pharmboy]

Agreed...but what cued them to do it in the first place?

[weikel]

Let the kids chew gum now okay( if you aren't already).

[JenB]

I'd like to know... hey, there's a study in itself! Why do researchers study odd things?

[weikel]

I don't use the word hero very often Mr. Pharmboy but your the greatest hero since my false advertising suit against the film the Neverending Story.

[badfreeper]

Big research grant from Wrigley's?

[Pharmboy]

HA! That's JUST what my wife said! (What is the Wrigley's equivalent in BritLand?)

[poweqi]

In the eighth grade a classmate was chewing gum and the teacher made him put it on his nose and string it to both ears. I wonder if he graduated?

[freebilly]

Well, if I read this correctly a person can chew their fingernails, pencils, just about anything to improve learning and memory.

[freebilly]

"What we think is that the mild increase in heart rate may improve the delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain, enough to improve cognitive function," he told Reuters.

The same thing would also apply to sex. But if this were true, Clinton would have an IQ of about 280

[Pharmboy]

Problem is, it's hard to learn when you're in that, er, situashun...

[Teacher317]

My current rule seems to be working out just fine. (My last school strictly forbade it, so this is new for me). I've informed them that if I don't see any evidence, I won't pursue the issue. (Don't ask, don't tell?) If I don't have wrappers to pick up, gum under the desks to scrape, or far-away stares on cud-chewing faces looking back at me, then they've proven themselves mature enough to be trusted with gum. They also police themselves pretty well, because they don't want some idiot ruining it for everybody... especially themselves. =^)

[hillsborofox]

I wonder if eating sunflower seeds (in the shell) counts? I must be a genius! (spitoooey)

[Revolting cat!]

Darn it! I never liked chewing gum but this finally explains why I could never qualify as a Mensa member!

[bluefish]

How about chewing tobacco? Nicotine is a cognitive enhancer. Of course, the oral cancer will get you before you get to test out your new and improved improved memory over the long term I guess.

[Freedom56v2]

LOL! One of my kids is taking ACT is a couple weeks--wonder if gum chewing is allowed?! :)