Could chewing wood boost your brain's memory?
Chewing on hard material could raise levels of a naturally occurring antioxidant in the human brain
(Web Desk) - We've all seen dogs chow down on sticks but now scientists have shared research which might make you consider following suit.
Chewing on hard material could raise levels of a naturally occurring antioxidant in the human brain, which could in turn help improve memory.
Think of it like chewing gum, which is a lot more mushy and comfortable in the mouth compared to wood. Although fresh breath is probably the main reason as to why someone chews gum, research in the past has shown it can significantly increase brain activity.
The Parkinson’s Resource Organization reports that studies have shown that chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain by 25-40 per cent and that continuous chewing activates the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
In the new study, researchers explored a potential explanation related to oxidative stress in neurological tissues, which is already thought to play a key role in the deterioration of cognitive function.
Harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species are produced in several metabolic processes. They can cause cumulative oxidative damage in human brains. An antioxidant called glutathione (GSH) is one of the brain’s best defences against this and it has the ability to protect neurons from reactive oxygen species.
Researchers designed the study to examine the role of glutathione and they say the link between levels of this antioxidant and chewing has not had much until now. For the study, 52 healthy university students from Daegu, South Korea were recruited and split into two groups.
One group of 27 was given paraffin wax gum to chew and a second group of 25 had to chew on wooden medical tongue depressors.
Chewing on gum can improve blood flow to the brain, research suggests Photo by Hana Lopez on Unsplash. Participants chewed their assigned materials for five minutes. Meanwhile, researchers used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure glutathione levels in the anterior cingulate cortex – a crucial brain region for cognitive control – both before and after chewing. All participants also completed a cognitive test before and after the activity.
The researchers found that chewing notably increased glutathione levels in the anterior cingulate cortex, with the wood-chewing group showing a greater boost compared to the gum-chewing group. So, those who chewed on wood had a bigger glutathione boost on the tests.
Are you thinking about chewing one of your wooden spoons? Well, more research is needed to back up the findings, researchers said, with larger demographics and potentially more materials to chew on.
