Chewing gum and cognitive performance: a case of a functional food with function but no food?
Recent reports suggest that enhancement of memory performance while chewing gum is a fairly robust phenomenon. The processes underlying the effect are not known, but may involve glucose delivery, context-dependent effects and arousal mechanisms amongst others. This brief commentary outlines the main findings from these studies and raises some issues regarding interpretation, methodology and future research directions.
Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK. a.scholey@unn.ac.uk
Andrew
A
Scholey
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D058870:Food, Organic; D006801:Humans; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*
D002638:Chewing Gum