Chewing Gum Tests Positive
By emma young chewing gum can improve memory, say uk psychologists. They found that people who chewed throughout tests of both long-term and short-term memory produced significantly better scores than people who did not. But gum-chewing did not boost memory-linked reaction times, used as a measure of attention. “these results provide the first evidence that chewing gum can improve long-term and working memory,” says andrew scholey of the university of northumbria in newcastle, uk. “there are a number of potential explanations – but they are all very speculative. ”one third of the 75 adults tested chewed gum during the 20-minute battery of memory and attention tests. Gum Chewing is Good for the Brain We start with good news. The well-known teacher said that research supports the claim, and then cited research. I’m amazed how often that second step doesn’t happen. Folks regularly claim that “research shows” that a teaching technique provides specific benefits, but won’t identify any specific research. “oh, you know, all the research shows that…” (pro tip: in psychology, it is never true that “all the research” shows anything. If someone says that to you, you can politely and confidently decline their advice. )this teacher, however, gives
read more →Chewing and Cognitive Improvement: The Side Matters
But that’s not the end of the story. I was surprised to learn that there’s actually a great deal of research on the topic of chewing gum and cognitive benefits/detriments. This study itself was an extension of an earlier study in 2002 which was, for the sake of clarity, let’s say “pro-gum. ”the auditory task described above is called the “bakan task” (named after paul bakan, from a paper he had published in 1959 ) and was considered by morgan and her colleagues to be an improvement over other research methodologies. There were several studies which found the opposite effect — that chewing gum makes it harder to concentrate — but the improvement in methodology is notable. How chewing gum can boost your brain power Those who chewed gum had the most positive results. This was true especially of tests right after seeing the visual information and after a twenty-five-minute interval. The people who pretended to chew gum scored lower than those actually chewing gum but still had slightly better scores than the control group who sat quietly. An interesting difference in the three groups’ physical responses may point to at least one reason
read more →3.2.1. Chewing Gum and Mood
Do you ever feel better biting your nails and shaking your legs when you’re nervous? well the same concept applies here; nibbling on some gum serves as a fantastic substitute for instinctual nervous habits. But don’t just take our word for it: in a 2011 st udy , participants who chewed gum twice a day for 14 days rated their anxiety significantly less than the non-chewers, reporting higher moods and lower fatigue levels. Scientifically speaking, it was shown that gum chewing can significantly reduce the stress hormone cortisol because the simple act of chewing is calming for most people. Research reveals that chewing increases brain blood flow (44). As a result, chewing can improve cognitive performance and brain function, including working and spatial memory. It also increases the level of arousal and alertness during a cognitive task (45). If you chew gum, make sure it’s aspartame-free, like this one. It’s known to help reverse neurological decline by increasing levels of acetylcholine in the brain. It’s often used as a brain booster by people of all ages because it support brain cells and increases alertness. It’s also been shown to be very effective at alleviating chronic fatigue and improving mood
read more →3. Hippocampal astrocyte and masticatory dysfunction
Animal studies have found that aged mice or rats with memory impairments have higher activity of the hpa axis 17 - 20. Hpa axis activity is negatively associated with both spatial memory performance and the hippocampal neurogenesis. Reduced masticatory stimulation decreased the hippocampal volume and induced the memory deficits. The pyramidal cell density of the hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (ca1) and ca3 regions in the molarless or bite-raised mice was significantly decreased 12 , 13 , 18. The number of dendritic spines reduced and the dendritic branching declined in an age-dependent manner 18 , 20. The dendritic spines in the hippocampus are altered by masticatory dysfunction through intracellular mechanisms that reorganize the neuronal cytoskeleton by producing cytoskeletal changes 40 , 41. Occlusal disharmony, such as loss of teeth and increases in the vertical dimension of crowns, bridges, or dentures, causes bruxism or pain in the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joints, and general malaise [ 30 , 31 ]. Studies in samp8 mice also show that occlusal disharmony impairs learning and memory. Using samp8 mice, we created a model of occlusal disharmony by raising the bite by approximately 0. 1 mm using dental materials, referred to as the
read more →Chew Yourself a Better Brain
Would you believe that while standing in line to pay for your groceries, you are but an arm's length away from a potent neurochemical catalyst that costs less than a single pill of any antidepressant? yes, gum -- wonderful, flavorful, get-your-jaws-moving gum -- is an unlikely object of cognitive science research that turns out to possess qualities mr. Wrigley would never have guessed. Gum has been studied for its beneficial effects on memory, alertness, anxiety reduction, appetite suppression, mood and learning. Attributes of gum that have gone under the microscope include its flavor, texture and density, to name a few. The hunch that spawned gum studies was that chewing gum might increase blood flow to the brain, and that may in turn spark other important effects. Evidence suggests that chewing effectively sends various types of information to the brain. Chewing activates several brain regions that are essential for cognitive processing, including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. https://www.facebook.com/HowDoICook https://www.facebook.com/HowDoICook How Mastication (Chewing) Improves Brain Function Who would have thought that the action of chewing food had a role other than to start the digestion process! increasing research studies have found that mastication (technical term for the the action
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