All throughout grade school and high school, I was never allowed to chew gum in class. My classmates and I always tried to convince our teachers that it would help us concentrate more, but they never bought it. It turns out, there are many health benefits to chewing gum that might make some school directors want to change their policies. 
First, chewing gum improves memory and increases focus. The activity in our hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for our memory, increases when we move our jaw. It speeds up our blood pressure enough to get blood and oxygen flowing to the brain more quickly. Chewing gum also reduces stress levels by releasing nervous energy. Studies have shown that students that chewed gum on tests did much better than those who did not because they were more relaxed and focused. A recent study at St. Lawrence University took 159 students in a double-blind placebo test in which 1/4 chewed sugar-free gum, 1/4 chewed regular gum, and the other 1/2 didn’t chew any gum. The students had to perform cognitive tasks. The results of the test showed that most times, those chewing gum performed significantly better than those not chewing gum.
Chewing gum also can help you manage your weight. Studies show that people who chew gum tend to take in less calories a day because their cravings for sugary snacks decreases. It also improves digestion. By increasing saliva flow and the amount of times one swallows, preventing acid reflux becomes easier. Increasing saliva flow also improves oral health. Saliva protects our oral cavity, not to mention freshening our breath. Also, people who chew sugar-free gum show signs of less dental problems than those that don’t, specifically having fewer cavities.
Therefore it can be concluded that chewing gum is not only beneficial to your taste buds, but to your everyday life. Next time you want to ace a test or relax a bit, take out a piece of gum.
I know gum does a lot of good things, but i don’t know it even help us to focus. By chewing gum, you can increase your grade, reduce calories intake and make your month smell better. What a magical thing. I would like to put some gums in my bag!
I really enjoyed this post because I learned some new things that I would have not expected. For example, I find it interesting that something as simple as chewing gum can improve digestion by increasing saliva flow. Also, that chewing gum can cause people to take in less calories throughout the day. As for the part about chewing gum in class, I knew that it improved focus and memory, but I didn’t know that it was proven to help people perform better on tests. I’m assuming that is why my school allowed students to chew gum during standardized tests. All these positive benefits make me want to start chewing gum more often.
This post is so interesting! While I’ve always loved to chew gum, I never realized there were scientific benefits. I did always think that chewing gum must decrease my snacking because I’m not craving sugar while I have it’s sugary taste in my mouth but I never knew for sure! Great post
Great to know! I chew gum like no other. I love it and sometimes I even crave it. I have always wondered about the whole chewing while studying and chewing while taking an exam thing. In addition to all these benefits that gum has, it is also good at trapping and getting rid of bacteria in our mouths. Check out this video about how gum can get rid of bad bacteria in our mouths.
I’m so excited to see that all of my gum chewing actually has health benefits. I still rarely chew it in class because I don’t want to seem rude, but hey if its helping my hippocampus, I’m sure my teachers wouldn’t mind.
I always believed in this! I am glad to hear that it really is not a myth at all. I am big fan of always having a piece of gum with me! kudos to me I won’t feel bad going through a pack every few days!
I always knew gum chewing had some health benefits in regards to curbing hunger and things like that but I never knew there were scientific studies that showed it actually increases relaxation and focus. I tend to chew gum a lot but I guess I never paid attention to the differences in my work ethic when chewing or not chewing gum. In regards to the “studies that have shown that students that chewed gum on tests did much better than those who did not because they were more relaxed and focused” confuses me a bit because I am sure there were tons of confounding variables in an experiment such as that one. Besides that, all the research seems to make sense and is very interesting. Here’s some research that pretty similar to that of yours. http://www.wisebread.com/11-surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum
This is such a relatable and interesting post because it connects with almost anyone and provides informative information about digestion and how it helps manage your weight. I could chew gum all day, and I’m very surprised about gum managing your weight. I throughly enjoyed this blog.
I always knew gum chewing had some health benefits in regards to curbing hunger and things like that but I never knew there were scientific studies that showed it actually increases relaxation and focus. I tend to chew gum a lot but I guess I never paid attention to the differences in my work ethic when chewing or not chewing gum. In regards to the “studies that have shown that students that chewed gum on tests did much better than those who did not because they were more relaxed and focused” confuses me a bit because I am sure there were tons of confounding variables in an experiment such as that one. Besides that, all the research seems to make sense and is very interesting. Here’s some research that pretty similar to that of yours. http://www.wisebread.com/11-surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum
I was never really sure why some teachers would give us pieces of gum before a big test, but from self observation I drew the conclusion that it did help me focus. So it was cool to read this blog post and find there was some truth in what I was thinking. Good topic choice!
This is one of those posts that I felt obligated to comment on, as I find this to be very true out of my own experiences, along with some friends. For me, popping in a piece of gum before class or EVEN a test is always a must, because it helps me focus a lot more than when I’m not chewing gum. For me, the constant motion of chewing helps to keep me focused because it puts me to ease inside that the motion of chewing is consistent when I’m battling hard questions being thrown my way on an exam. If I chew gum I find that I don’t end up tapping my foot or pencil, which might have some relation as well. I really enjoyed reading your article, as I feel I was able to take something away from it that explains why gum is a necessity to me during exams and quizzes! Thanks, Kylie!
I always knew gum chewing had some health benefits in regards to curbing hunger and things like that but I never knew there were scientific studies that showed it actually increases relaxation and focus. I tend to chew gum a lot but I guess I never paid attention to the differences in my work ethic when chewing or not chewing gum. In regards to the “studies that have shown that students that chewed gum on tests did much better than those who did not because they were more relaxed and focused” confuses me a bit because I am sure there were tons of confounding variables in an experiment such as that one. Besides that, all the research seems to make sense and is very interesting. Here’s some research that pretty similar to that of yours. http://www.wisebread.com/11-surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum
I always knew gum chewing had some health benefits in regards to curbing hunger and things like that but I never knew there were scientific studies that showed it actually increases relaxation and focus. I tend to chew gum a lot but I guess I never paid attention to the differences in my work ethic when chewing or not chewing gum. In regards to the “studies that have shown that students that chewed gum on tests did much better than those who did not because they were more relaxed and focused” confuses me a bit because I am sure there were tons of confounding variables in an experiment such as that one. Besides that, all the research seems to make sense and is very interesting. Here’s some research that pretty similar to that of yours. http://www.wisebread.com/11-surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
Very well made post! There was a lot of usual information in this post that was well explained but it was still short and sweet (no pun intended).
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
Very well made post! There was a lot of usual information in this post that was well explained but it was still short and sweet (no pun intended).
This blog is so interesting, I use to chew gum when I was in middle school and high school, and sometimes I chewed gum in the class. But I found that it’s hard for me to focus on what teachers said when I chewed gum in the class. And after I chewing one gum for so long, I found that I had a little headache. So in my opinion, I think chewing gum do more disadvantages than advantages.
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
Very well made post! There was a lot of usual information in this post that was well explained but it was still short and sweet (no pun intended).
Very well made post! There was a lot of usual information in this post that was well explained but it was still short and sweet (no pun intended).
I always found chewing gum helpful when studying or just trying to concentrate in general. I always wished I was able to chew gum while taking tests in school but it was not allowed in my school either. Happy to know there is significant difference in test performance due to gum chewing. Something I will definitely always do when to help take exams in the future. I also always found gum as a helpful way to memorize information and stay focused. It makes sense that the act of chewing gum connects to these functions of the brain.
Very well made post! There was a lot of usual information in this post that was well explained but it was still short and sweet (no pun intended).
This is probably the best post I’ve read so far. I never thought gum could have those positive effects. I’m gonna start chewing gum more in class.
My friend even my high school teacher once told me the same thing. She said that chewing gums can help concentrate more so I did that every time when I feel sleepy or I have a test so that it can help me more focus. Though it is sad to find out the conclusion, I learned that next time when I have a test, I will not chew gum again.
I always chew gum, and I had no idea the positive effects gum can have! I’m interested to know more about how the movement of the jaw increases activity in the hippocampus, it seems like a very strange connection. And I also saw that you stated that chewing gum can help manage your weight. This reminds me of a show I watch, called Biggest Loser. It is a weight loss competition on TV, and the contestants are always told to chew gum and have a huge supply of it in their house. I’m happy to hear that this isn’t just another made up TV myth. I found an article about the show and chewing the gum that is very interesting, you can see it here
I’d like to say I’m surprised by these results, but I am not that surprised. I was able to chew gum in my high school, but not any grades before it. Something I started to think about while reading your post was whether or not brand or flavor of gum had anything to do with the effects on students memory. Maybe certain flavors are better than others. Cool post!
I found this post very interesting. I actually had a teacher in high school that would give us gum to chew during tests, but I never knew of it worked or not. Thanks for sharing!
I found this post very interesting. I actually had a teacher in high school that would give us gum to chew during tests, but I never knew of it worked or not. Thanks for sharing!