This is Your Brain on Gum

Multi-tasking got you feeling a little unfocused? With so many daily distractions, it can be hard to keep your head in the game. It's no wonder people are seeking simple and convenient ways to increase their focus and concentration. And chewing gum may help.

In fact, people in the know are already using chewing gum to help improve focus, concentration and alertness. Chewing gum may also help with multi-tasking - recent research shows chewing gum results in an improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities while under a laboratory stressor.¹

Since World War I, the U.S. Armed Forces have supplied chewing gum to the field and in combat rations.

Even coaches and athletes chew gum to "stay in the game." In fact, in a recent survey [Download PDF] conducted by Doublemint® gum, more than half (59 percent) of everyday athletes who chew gum indicated they chew gum when they need to focus on their sporting event or competition.² In the same survey, 56 percent of college athletes who chew gum indicated that they chew gum because in keeps them focused and 52 percent chew gum because it increases their concentration.

Furthermore, in schools today, some teachers are reversing school policies against chewing gum and are encouraging students to chew during tests to help increase their alertness and concentration.

A new study presented at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2009 found that chewing Wrigley sugar-free gum can lead to better academic performance in teenagers in a classroom setting. The study found that students who chewed gum showed an increase in standardized math test scores and their final grades were better compared to those who did not chew gum.³

Research conducted in the area of chewing gum and cognitive performance is complex, but results are emerging on a number of fronts that may point us towards a better understanding. In fact, a research study [Download PDF] conducted at the University of Northumbria in 2002 showed that chewing gum appeared to improve people's ability to learn, retain and retrieve information. The results showed that gum chewers' scores were 24 percent higher than the control group on tests involving immediate word recall and 36 percent higher than controls on tests involving delayed word recall.⁴ While this initial research is promising, more research is necessary to understand the role of chewing gum in attention and concentration.

¹ Scholey, Andrew. An investigation into the effects of gum chewing on mood and cortisol levels during psychological stress. 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine. Tokyo, Japan. August 2008.

² Wrigley Athlete Study. StrategyOne. September 2008 - Survey of 1,000 everyday athletes (adults ages 21-34 involved in intramural or amateur sports organizations, non-professional races, tennis or golf).

³ Craig A. Johnston, Chermaine Tyler, Sandra A. Stansberry, Jennette L. Palcic, John P. Foreyt: Gum chewing affects academic performance in adolescents ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2009, New Orleans, LA, April 2009. LB 487.

⁴ Wilkinson L., Scholey A., Wesness K. "Chewing gum selectively improves memory in healthy volunteers." Appetite. 2002; 38(3):235-236.

HIGHLIGHTS

Wrigley College Tour "The Official Sponsor of Finals Week"

Wrigley visited 25 campuses across the United States as the "Official Sponsor of Finals Week," helping students increase focus and concentration, and relieve tension during exams.

Asia Take the Test: Does Chewing Gum Help with Focus and Concentration?

In Asia, Wrigley worked with Olympic gymnast, Liu Xuan, and Zhongshan University Professor, Gao, to launch the first-ever systematic concentration test in China and demonstrate how chewing gum can help increase focus.