Gum chewing makes intellectuals?

Unintelligent people are often portrayed as gum snapping airheads in the movies. Can you imagine someone playing Einstein chewing gum?

Nevertheless, researchers at the University of Northumbria in Great Britain claim that gum chewing increases memory and the ability to think, at least in the short term.

The researchers tested 75 people; some were given gum to chew prior to testing their cognitive skills. The gum chewers tested better than the non chewers when it came to memorizing phone numbers and other short-term memory tests.

Here are their theories as to why memory improved. The act of chewing increases the heart rate, and that small increase may improve the flow of oxygen and glucose to the brain, producing a smarter person. The gum chewing may also produce a surge of insulin due to the chewing motion signaling the brain that a meal may be coming soon. The brain's insulin receptors play an important role in learning.

So the next time you see your child chewing away, you can relax a little. That Bazooka bubblegum may be boosting his brainpower!

March 30, 2002

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