EFFECT OF CHEWING GUM ON COGNITION AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES

Authors

  • Inam ul Haq Department of Physiology, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi
  • Muhammad Amer Saleem Department of Medicine, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad
  • Ali Raza Ansari Rawalpindi Medical College and Allied Hospitals, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
  • Hamza Hassan Rawalpindi Medical College and Allied Hospitals, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
  • Anum Yousaf Rawalpindi Medical College and Allied Hospitals, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Keywords:

chewing gum, stress, cognition, mental performance

Abstract

Background: Chewing gum has multidimensional effects on the body that work in harmony to improve one’s abilities. The present study was aimed to focus at the authenticity of the myth that chewing gum reduces stress, elevates mood and increases concentration. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional survey and observational analytic study was carried at Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi over a period of 3 weeks. A total of 200 subjects participated in the study. They filled in their demographic details and self-rated their stress levels in various situations. The group was equally divided into a control and a study group. All the participants were subjected to a mental arithmetic test. The participants of the study group were provided with a gum during their examination. A comparison of the marks scored was done. Results: Out of the entire group only 13.3% were non-chewers whereas 50% replied that they chewed gum ‘sometimes’. Majority of the people felt mild, moderate and severe stress in general, while in college and during examination respectively. A large number of subjects chewed gum for the reason that it makes them feel elated (43.3%). In the mental arithmetic test, the non-chewer group scored more than the chewer group with a highly significant statistical difference (p=0.001). Conclusion: Chewing gum has no or minimal role in reducing stress. However, as it cherishes ones’ mood, it can be chewed to get rid of the acute anxiety states faced during various stressful conditions. Nevertheless, the study strongly denounces the concept that chewing gum enhances ones attention and cognition.

Pak J Physiol 2016;12(1):22–5

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Liza V. Stress Management Techniques: evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health. Health Sci J 2011;5(2):74–89.
2. Teitzel AJ, Lack LC. The short-term benefits of brief and long naps following nocturnal sleep restriction. Sleep 2001;24(3):293–300.
3. Czeisler CA. Sleep deficit: The performance killer. Harvard Business Review 2006;94:53–9.
4. Wilkinson L, Scholey A, Wesnes K. Chewing gum selectively improves memory in healthy volunteers. Appetite 2002;38(3):235–6.
5. Baker JR, Benzance JB, Zellaby E, Aggleton JP. Chewing gum can produce context-dependent effects upon memory. Appetite 2004;43(2):207–10.
6. Sasaki A. Influence of mastication on the amount of hemoglobin in human brain tissue. J Stomatological Society 2001;68(1):72–81.
7. Zhenzhu Y, Li H, Xiaolin Z. Regional brain activities during gum chewing. Psychological Science-Shanghai 2006;29(5):1153.
8. Stephens R, Tunney RJ. How does chewing gum affect cognitive function? Reply to Scholey (2004). Appetite 2004;43(2):217–8.
9. Tasaka A, Takeuchi K, Sasaki H, Yoshii T, Soeda R, Ueda T, et al. Influence of chewing time on salivary stress markers. J Prosthodon Res 2014;58(1):48–54.
10. Inocian RB, Lasala GL. An assessment of social studies majors’ whole-brain learning systems. Eur Sci J 2014;10(11):337–59.
11. FRC. The impact of chewing gum on consumers’ stress levels. New York: FRC Research Corporation; 2006.
12. Redclift M. Chewing gum: The fortunes of taste. New York: Routledge; 2004.
13. Johnson AJ, Miles C. Evidence against memorial facilitation and context-dependent memory effects through the chewing of gum. Appetite 2007;48(3):394–6.
14. Tucha O, Mecklinger L, Maier K, Hammerl M, Lange KW. Chewing gum differentially affects aspects of attention in health subjects. Appetite 2004;42(3):327–9.
15. Smith AP. Effect of chewing gum on mood, learning, memory and performance of an intelligence task. Nutritional Neuroscience 2009;12(2):81–8.
16. TDA. Mental Arithmetic Questions – Set 2 [Internet]. 2014. Available from: http://www.tda.gov.uk/skillstests/numeracy/ practicematerials.aspx
17. Smith AP. Chewing gum, stress and health. Stress and Health 2009;25(5):445–51.
18. Smith AP. Effects of chewing gum on cognitive function, mood and physiology in stressed and non-stressed volunteers. Nutritional Neuroscience 2010;13(1):7–16.
19. McEwen BS. The neurobiology of stress: from serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Res 2000;886(1):172–89.
20. Figueiredo HF, Bruestle A, Bodie B, Dolgas CM, Herman JP. The medial prefrontal cortex differentially regulates stress-induced c-fos expression in the forebrain depending on type of stressor. Eur J Neurosci 2003;18(8):2357–64.
21. Ryan C, Hummel T. Gustation, Olfaction, and Deglutition. In: Principles of Deglutition. New York: Springer; 2013. pp. 19–24.
22. Finstad K, Bink M, McDaniel M, Einstein GO. Breaks and task switches in prospective memory. Appl Cogn Psychol 2006;20(5):705–12

Downloads

Published

31-03-2016

How to Cite

1.
Haq I ul, Saleem MA, Ansari AR, Hassan H, Yousaf A. EFFECT OF CHEWING GUM ON COGNITION AND BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES. Pak J Phsyiol [Internet]. 2016 Mar. 31 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];12(1):22-5. Available from: https://pjp.pps.org.pk/index.php/PJP/article/view/418