Abstract
Background: Chewing before performing a cognitive task increases oxygen levels in the Central Nervous System (CNS) areas important for processes of learning and memory. This study was done to evaluate and compare the effects of chewing gum on reaction time, visual short term memory, selective attention, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and problem-solving ability in healthy male and female subjects.Methodology: The comparative, gender-based, interventional study was conducted involving 300 individuals placed in the control (n=150) and interventional group (n=150). Participants in the interventional group were required to chew gum till they completed the task. A questionnaire was designed to record the reaction time, memory, attention, executive and intellectual functioning and time took to solve each parameter. Each subject in both control and interventional group completed the questionnaire with and without chewing gum, respectively. Results for the two groups were compared using SPSS version 20.0.Results: It was found that the gum chewing group performs significantly better than the control group, thus chewing gum significantly improves cognitive performance. These cognitive effects of chewing were comparable among the two genders but relatively more pronounced among male participants as compared to females.Conclusion: Chewing gum is positively associated with higher level of cognitive performance than controls.
Highlights
Regardless of its fame and commerciality, gum chewing is an unusual action, it’s like eating without the act of associated digestion
This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of chewing gum on the mental health performance among healthy male and female subjects by observing the comparative alterations in the reaction time, visual short term memory, selective attention, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and problem-solving ability in the two genders
It was found that visual short term memory was increased among both the genders as a result of chewing gum which is consistent with the previous research, as it determined that chewing sugar-free gum improved aspects of verbal and visual memory[13]
Summary
Regardless of its fame and commerciality, gum chewing is an unusual action, it’s like eating without the act of associated digestion. One of the most astounding findings is that researchers have recently established that chewing gum can improve the cognitive functioning of the brain areas controlling memory and attention[9]. This study was done to evaluate and compare the effects of chewing gum on reaction time, visual short term memory, selective attention, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and problem-solving ability in healthy male and female subjects. A questionnaire was designed to record the reaction time, memory, attention, executive and intellectual functioning and time took to solve each parameter Each subject in both control and interventional group completed the questionnaire with and without chewing gum, respectively. Results: It was found that the gum chewing group performs significantly better than the control group, chewing gum significantly improves cognitive performance These cognitive effects of chewing were comparable among the two genders but relatively more pronounced among male participants as compared to females. Conclusion: Chewing gum is positively associated with higher level of cognitive performance than controls
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