Does chewing gum really improve memory?

[ShawnD]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1870763.stm

In tests, scientists found the ability to recall remembered words improved by 35% among people who chewed gum.

Hmm, interesting

It might be old news but it's still interesting.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1870763.stm


Hmm, interesting

It might be old news but it's still interesting.

no that this is crucial but which brand of chewing gum did they chew?

 

[quddusaliquddus]

I wonder if any1 has Any possible explanation for that? Does that mean that animals which chew all the time have good memories ;D

 

[ShawnD]

I heard about this on Discovery Channel today. The guy said it's because chewing gum stimulates the front part of the brain which is tied to learning stuff. Exercising the brain keeps it sharp .

Yes, cows probably do have good memory. That's why they'll kill you the first chance they get! (from the Simpsons).

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

I heard about this on Discovery Channel today. The guy said it's because chewing gum stimulates the front part of the brain which is tied to learning stuff. Exercising the brain keeps it sharp .

Yes, cows probably do have good memory. That's why they'll kill you the first chance they get! (from the Simpsons).

does the action of chewing resemble the action of talking?
if yes perhaps it can be determined if there is difference between reading a material out loud and reading the material whisperly (in respect to memory).

 

[Monique]

From the http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992039"

There are three main potential explanations, says Scholey. In March 2000, Japanese researchers showed that brain activity in the hippocampus, an area important for memory, increases while people chew - but it is not clear why.

Recent research has also found that insulin receptors in the hippocampus may be involved in memory. "Insulin mops up glucose in the bloodstream and chewing causes the release of insulin, because the body is expecting food. If insulin receptors in the brain are involved in memory, we may have an insulin-mediated mechanism explaining our findings - but that is very, very speculative," Scholey says.

But there could be a simpler answer. "One interesting thing we saw in our study was that chewing increased heart rate. Anything that improves delivery of things like oxygen in the brain, such as an increased heart rate, is a potential cognitive enhancer to some degree," he says.

 

[Monique]

does the action of chewing resemble the action of talking?
if yes perhaps it can be determined if there is difference between reading a material out loud and reading the material whisperly (in respect to memory).

It does say they tested 1/3 who chewed gum, 1/3 who mimicked the chewing movement and the rest who did not chew, but it doesn't mention whether there was a difference between the gum and mimick chewers :)

But I don't think it is related to the study, since the chewing is related with a food-reflex. Reading out loud would seem distracting to me, since you're more worried about articulating and speaking the words than the context of the text, but that might just be me :)

 

[skowalcz]

There are three main potential explanations, says Scholey... blablabla

I'm just interested in whether I should run to the shop and buy some gum.
So is it true or not

Probably not. Otherwise Sportlife would have used this argument that it improves your memory in TV spots all the sime!