Bubble gum chewing may enhance cognition by improving alertness and reducing stress.
Forget what your teachers told you--gum-chewing and school might be compatible after all. Some research shows that chewing gum while studying or test-taking can improve mental functioning associated with learning, resulting in improved academic performance.
Reduces Stress
Research conducted by Bayor College of Medicine that studied the effects of chewing gum while studying and testing found a link between gum chewing and higher math test scores in eighth graders. According to a WebMD interview of study leader Craig Johnston, PhD, researchers speculate that chewing gum reduces stress, explaining the higher test scores among students who chewed gum. A 2010 Cardiff University study of volunteers who chewed gum during stressful testing situations, published in the journal "Nutritional Neuroscience," also concluded that chewing gum improves cognition by reducing stress.
Increases Alertness
In addition to stress reduction, the study by Cardiff University indicates that gum chewing also facilitates learning by increasing alertness. Researchers found that chewing gum was associated with greater alertness, including quicker reaction time and improved selective and sustained attention. According to the study's abstract, "heart rate and cortisol levels were higher when chewing, which confirms the alerting effect of chewing gum."
Improves Memory (Maybe)
Chewing gum may also facilitate learning by improving memory, although research has produced conflicting conclusions on this subject. The 2010 Cardiff University study found that while improving alertness and reducing stress, chewing gum had no impact on memory. Yet, another study, conducted by University of Northumbria in Newcastle, UK, found that people who chewed gum throughout tests of both long-term and short-term memory produced significantly better scores than people who did not, although gum-chewing did not boost memory-linked reaction times.
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