Chewing gum may sharpen attention and ease mild stress, neuroimaging review finds
A 2025 University of Szczecin neuroimaging review of 32 human studies finds chewing gum activates attention, alertness and stress-regulation brain networks, producing small, short-lived boosts to vigilance and mild stress relief — but no reliable memory benefit.
Key takeaways
- Neural activation: Chewing engages motor and sensory regions and also prefrontal and anterior cingulate areas tied to attention and emotional control — see the University of Szczecin review in Brain Sciences.
- Behavioural effect: Small, short-lived increases in vigilance and a sense of relaxed concentration; inconsistent evidence for memory gains.
- Stress relief: Mild everyday anxiety can be reduced in low-to-moderate stress tasks; chewing is not a treatment for clinical anxiety.
The study and methods
Researchers: James Chmiel and Agnieszka Malinowska led a narrative/systematic neuroimaging review at the University of Szczecin. They searched major databases for human studies from January 1980 to March 2025 where participants chewed gum while brain activity was recorded by fMRI, fNIRS or EEG. Thirty-two studies met inclusion criteria: 15 fMRI, 10 fNIRS, two fNIRS+EEG and five EEG-only studies (University of Szczecin review in Brain Sciences).
Findings: chewing-related brain activity
Sensorimotor network
Consistent activation of jaw motor and oral sensory systems appeared across fMRI studies. Key areas: primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor area, insula, cerebellum and thalamus — showing mastication is a distributed motor–sensory task, not just a simple reflex (University of Szczecin review).
Higher-order regions
Beyond motor circuits, repeated engagement of prefrontal regions and the anterior cingulate cortex appeared in multiple fMRI and fNIRS studies — areas linked to attention control, alertness and emotion regulation. Effects were often stronger during mildly stressful tasks or with flavoured gum (Source).
fNIRS: prefrontal blood flow rises
Near-infrared spectroscopy experiments measured oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO) in the forehead; several found chewing increased prefrontal HbO, indicating brief boosts to cortical activity tied to attention and top-down control. Flavour and mild stress tasks often amplified the HbO response (University of Szczecin review).
EEG: alert but relaxed
Electroencephalography studies reported transient rises in alpha and beta power during chewing. Alpha is associated with relaxed wakefulness; beta with engagement and alertness. Together these changes are consistent with a state of “relaxed concentration.” EEG shifts typically faded after chewing stopped (Source).
Behavioural outcomes: focus, memory and stress
Attention and vigilance: Behavioural data indicate chewing gum can help sustain attention in monotonous tasks. Benefits are clearest for vigilance or sustained attention rather than complex problem solving; effects are small and transient (University of Szczecin review).
Memory: Across studies, chewing did not reliably improve memory for words or stories. Any memory improvements were inconsistent and minor — there is no strong evidence that gum enhances memory (Source).
Stress and anxiety: In low-to-moderate lab stressors (mental arithmetic, public-speaking tasks) chewers often reported lower anxiety than non-chewers. Neuroimaging suggests enhanced prefrontal and cingulate engagement may help regulate stress responses. However, chewing showed no clear benefit in high-stress medical settings or tasks designed to provoke strong frustration — so it is a mild, context-dependent aid, not a clinical treatment (University of Szczecin review).
Why chewing might help: possible mechanisms
The authors propose plausible, but unproven, pathways: rhythmic chewing may boost arousal via brainstem and thalamic circuits (consistent with beta increases and raised prefrontal blood flow); mastication may satisfy fidgeting needs and flavour adds reward signals that amplify neural responses. The review emphasizes current data are correlational and do not prove direct causal links to improved performance (Source).
Duration and limits
Short-lived and modest: Neural and EEG markers change during chewing and subside soon after. Behavioural gains are uneven. Memory effects are largely absent. The authors caution against treating gum as a general cognitive enhancer (University of Szczecin review).
Health and practical caveats
Dental and jaw considerations: Sugar-free gum can boost saliva and fight cavities, but acids and certain sweeteners may harm enamel or irritate the gut when overused. Excessive chewing can strain the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in susceptible people. These non-neural issues affect real-world recommendations (Source).
Previous coverage and context
Media amplified the review’s headline findings about attention and stress networks. Examples include Fox News, AOL, and commentary for schools such as Teacher Toolkit. The primary peer-reviewed source is the University of Szczecin review in Brain Sciences.
Future research agenda
The authors recommend longer-term chewing studies, experimental separation of flavour vs. mastication effects, and trials testing gum-like mastication as a non-drug aid for attention or mild anxiety. They suggest targeting groups who may benefit from simple sensory stimulation, such as people with attention difficulties (Source).
Implications for workplaces, schools and everyday life
Economic: Even modest vigilance gains could matter in long-shift industries (transport, monitoring centres, call centres). Employers might permit sugar-free gum breaks as a low-cost aid, balanced against dental and jaw health and workplace rules (Source).
Policy and social norms: Findings may prompt debates in schools and public institutions about chewing bans. Decisions should weigh modest cognitive and stress benefits against etiquette, distraction and hygiene. For individuals, gum can be a quick, low-risk aid for brief focus or mild nerves before meetings or long drives — but it is not a substitute for sleep or clinical care (University of Szczecin review).
Sources and further reading
- University of Szczecin review, Brain Sciences (2025)
- Fox News coverage
- AOL coverage
- Teacher Toolkit classroom commentary
Bottom line: Chewing gum produces measurable, short-term brain changes and modest improvements in vigilance and mild stress relief, but it is not a proven memory booster or a substitute for clinical care.
