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.
Scholey
Andrew
A
Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK. a.scholey@unn.ac.uk
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