Does the Effect of Chewing Gum Improve Memory

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DOES THE EFFECT OF CHEWING GUM IMPROVE MEMORY ? Abstract- In this study the effect of chewing gum on improvement of memory was investigated. It was hypothesised that the gum chewers scored a higher percentage on the test than non-gum chewers. Half of the 70 adults tested chewed gum during the 20-minute test on memory and attention test, while the other half did not. The gum chewer’s scores were 36% higher on the tests that the non-gum chewers score on average. These results indicated that chewing gum improves mental ability and memory, therefore supporting the hypothesis. Introduction- Japanese researchers(takenowa, chihero, et, al,2000) showed that brain activity in the hippocampus (an area important for memory) increases while people chew, but it is not clear why. Resent research has found that insulin receptors in the hippocampus may be involved in memory. ‘Insulin mops up glucose in the bloodstream and chewing causes the release of insulin, because the body is expecting food. If insulin receptors in the brain are involved in memory’ (Edwards, R, et, al, 2011). One interesting finding in the study was that chewing increased heart rate. Anything that improves delivery of oxygen to the brain like an endorphin may increase attention and is a potential cognitive enhancement factor. The aim of the experiment is to see if the chewing of gum improves memory and cognitive functions. It was hypothesised that those who chewed gum received on average a higher % score that those who did not chew gum. Method- Participants- 70 adults aged between 18-45 randomly allocated to partake in a test consisting of testing the popular theory of memory improvement from chewing gum. Materials- In this study, the following was used: 35 pieces of gum, paper and pencils and a list of the 15-20 words. Procedure- This investigation involved showing a population a list of 15-20

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