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Chewing gum can help speed up brain function
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Since the invention of chewing gum (the second half of the 19th century), its use in society was considered bad manners and a sign of bad manners. Japanese scientists have recently concluded that, despite the stereotype, chewing gum has a positive effect on human thinking and reaction speed. Employees of the institute specializing in radio engineering sciences claim that chewing gum can affect brain function.
A study conducted by Japanese scientists has shown that people who regularly chew gum become more concentrated and react to external stimuli much faster than those who ignore the product that is so popular these days. The experiment consisted of the researchers dividing about 200 volunteers into two equal groups and conducting a thirty-minute test, which included questions that determined memory and intellectual level, as well as tasks on reaction speed. The first group was tested without chewing gum, the second chewed gum during the entire experiment. By the way, the chewing gum without flavor additives and flavorings was used for the study.
During the testing, the participants had to answer questions identical to those from various IQ tests, memorize columns of numbers, letters, and quickly respond to commands that appeared on the screen for just a few seconds. The volunteers had to respond to the commands as quickly as possible and press the necessary buttons with their thumbs. During the entire experiment, the brain activity of the participants in both groups was monitored by tomographs, and after the end of the experiment, a thorough analysis of the data was conducted.
The results of the experiment showed that the results of those people who chewed gum during the test were much better: they responded to computer commands faster and answered questions more accurately. In order to make the right decision, participants with gum needed 490 milliseconds, and participants with an empty mouth needed 510-517 milliseconds. Analysis of the tomograph data showed that the cognitive indicators of the participants in the two groups also differed. The level of concentration, alertness, clarity of mind and memory power were significantly higher in those who chewed gum during the experiment. Scientists believe that this pattern may be due to the fact that during prolonged chewing, a greater amount of oxygen enters the human brain, which affects the speed of reaction and thought processes.
Scientists also reported that the process of chewing increases the level of a person's arousal, which affects attentiveness and vigilance. The head of the study suggests that the effect of chewing gum on attentiveness and the assimilation of new information will be of interest to managers of companies with a large number of employees. Despite the visible benefits of chewing gum, doctors do not recommend chewing it on an empty stomach, as this can provoke stomach diseases, namely gastritis or even an ulcer.
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