Neuroimaging Review Finds Chewing Gum Can Boost Focus and Ease Mild Stress
A 2025 neuroimaging review from the University of Szczecin finds chewing gum reliably engages brain networks tied to attention and emotional control, producing modest, short-lived boosts in sustained attention and reduced mild stress during acute use.
- Neural evidence: Chewing activates chewing circuits and prefrontal–cingulate areas linked to attention and emotion (Full review (PubMed)).
- Behavioral effect: Small, short-lived improvements in sustained attention and modest reductions in mild stress; memory benefits are inconsistent.
- Context matters: Flavored gum and mild stress or boring tasks tend to increase effects; benefits fade soon after chewing stops.
What the review examined
Researchers at the Institute of Physical Culture Sciences and the Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, performed a systematic neuroimaging review (1980–March 2025) focusing on human studies that measured brain activity while subjects chewed gum. The review, published 18 June 2025 in Brain Sciences, analyzed 32 imaging studies (15 fMRI, 10 fNIRS, 5 EEG, 2 combined fNIRS+EEG) and emphasized neural signals over subjective reports (study details).
Which brain areas light up when you chew
Across fMRI and fNIRS studies, chewing consistently activated a core chewing network and also engaged attention‑related regions.
- Core chewing network: primary motor cortex, somatosensory cortex (bilateral), supplementary motor area, insula, cerebellum and thalamus — areas controlling jaw movement and processing touch/taste (PubMed).
- Attention and control regions: prefrontal cortex (including dorsolateral regions tied to attention/working memory) and anterior cingulate cortex (error monitoring/emotional regulation). Prefrontal–cingulate activations were more likely under stress or with flavored gum (PubMed).
- Blood‑flow changes (fNIRS): increased oxygenated blood in prefrontal cortex — stronger when gum was flavored or under stress (PubMed).
EEG findings: a state of “relaxed concentration”
EEG studies reported transient shifts in brain waves during chewing: some studies noted short‑lived increases in alpha and beta power. Beta is often linked to vigilance and active attention; alpha can reflect relaxed wakefulness. Media coverage described this pattern as a “relaxed concentration” while chewing, though EEG changes typically fade after chewing stops (Fox News; AOL; PubMed).
What the brain activity means for attention and stress
The review links neural activations to behavioral findings but does not claim direct causation. Key behavioral patterns across the broader literature include:
- Attention and vigilance: modest improvements in sustained attention, especially for long, monotonous tasks; users often report tasks feel less tedious (PubMed).
- Memory: little reliable evidence that chewing improves recall of words or stories — findings are weak and inconsistent (PubMed).
- Stress and emotional regulation: in mildly stressful lab tasks (public speaking practice, mental arithmetic) chewers often reported lower anxiety; effects were inconsistent in very high‑stress contexts such as pre‑surgery settings (PubMed; Fox News).
Strength and duration of effects
Neuroimaging signals are consistent for sensorimotor chewing areas and reasonably consistent for prefrontal attention networks. However, behavioral benefits are generally small to moderate and context‑dependent. EEG boosts in alertness are described as short‑lived and typically subside after chewing ends (PubMed).
Factors that modify effect size include task type (boring vigilance tasks show more benefit), stress level (mild stress shows some benefit), and gum characteristics (flavored gum often produces stronger responses) (PubMed).
Methodology, limits and next steps
The review included human imaging studies from 1980 through March 2025 requiring direct brain activity measurement during chewing. Authors caution current imaging cannot prove a causal pathway from brain activation to lasting performance gains or clinical anxiety treatment. They call for improved designs to disentangle flavor, the motor act of chewing, and stress, and note that long‑term effects remain poorly understood (PubMed).
Practical takeaways and safety notes
Practical ideas based on the review:
- Try sugar‑free gum for a brief attention boost during repetitive work, studying or long drives — effects are modest and usually stop when chewing stops (PubMed).
- Flavored gum may increase the response, perhaps because taste adds sensory pleasure that further engages attention networks (PubMed).
- Gum is not a treatment for clinical anxiety and is unreliable in very high‑stress situations (PubMed).
- Dentists warn against excessive chewing or sugar‑containing gum; sugar‑free gum can help prevent cavities (media note).
Implications for Utah
Economic impact: Gum is low‑cost and widely available. Utah employers — from construction firms to call centers — might consider allowing brief, workplace‑approved gum chewing as a simple tool to help maintain alertness during long shifts. Local retailers may see modest demand for sugar‑free options.
Political and policy consequences: The finding does not require new public policy. For conservative audiences in Utah, the evidence supports individual choice and employer discretion. School boards revisiting gum bans may weigh classroom cleanliness against modest attention benefits; some schools already permit sugar‑free gum with permission (Teacher Toolkit).
Social and cultural relevance: Utah’s large student population and busy families may find gum appealing as a nonpharmaceutical, low‑intervention tool for short bursts of stress or alertness on long drives or study sessions.
Practical applications for Utah residents
- Students: Consider sugar‑free gum during long, boring review sessions to sustain attention; check school rules first.
- Workers: In jobs with repetitive stretches, employers could pilot permissive gum policies and measure effects on focus and morale.
- Drivers: Chewing may aid alertness on long drives, but do not rely on gum alone for safety — take breaks and share driving duties.
- Patients and high‑stress situations: Seek clinical support for intense medical anxiety; gum is not a substitute for professional care (PubMed).
Sources and further reading
- The Neural Correlates of Chewing Gum – A Neuroimaging Review of Its Effects on Brain Activity, Brain Sciences, 18 June 2025 (Full review)
- Fox News summary
- AOL summary
- Classroom discussion: Teacher Toolkit
- NewsRX / Health & Medicine Week synopsis (July 2025)
Offer for deeper detail
If desired, I can extract study‑by‑study examples from the review — for instance, which specific tasks (driving simulators, mental arithmetic, public speaking) showed the most benefit — to give Utah readers a more detailed, practical guide to when gum may help and when it likely will not.
