Chewing Gum may Boost Mental Alertness

Chewing gum is often frowned upon by many but a new study published in the journal Brain and Cognition reveals that it may actually be beneficial to your mind as it boosts mental alertness and thinking by 10 percent.

The study, conducted by researchers at National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan, involved two groups of participants, one of whom chewed gum while the other did not.

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The participants were asked to perform a number of 30-minute tests which involved measuring alertness and reaction times by asking them to press a button with their left or right thumb according to the direction of an arrow on a screen.

The researchers found that those who were chewing gum pressed the button within 493 milliseconds compared to 545 milliseconds by those who did not chew a gum. Brain scans also found that those who were chewing gum had higher amount of activity in regions of the brain responsible for movement and attention.

Source-Medindia

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