Chewing on wood can boost your memory — how it works

Pencils ready — now chew!

Gum chewing has been shown to boost blood flow to the brain, enhancing alertness, focus and cognitive function. South Korean researchers discovered that another substance may be even more beneficial for the brain — wood.

A new study found that chomping on wooden medical tongue depressors for five minutes can increase levels of glutathione (GSH), the primary antioxidant in the brain that plays a crucial role in protecting against oxidative stress. Higher GSH was linked to better memory.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that mastication can alter the level of antioxidants in the human brain, and that an increase in brain antioxidant levels is associated with cognitive function,” the study authors wrote recently in the journal Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience.

Fifty-two healthy university students from Daegu, South Korea, were divided into two groups for the study.

Twenty-seven were given paraffin wax gum, while 25 received tongue depressors reminiscent of popsicle sticks.

Participants chewed on their right side for 30 seconds, then rested for 30 seconds, alternating for a total of five minutes.

Researchers used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure GSH changes in their anterior cingulate cortex — a part of the brain involved in decision-making, emotional regulation, motivation and cognitive control.

All participants took a cognitive test before and after the activity. Those who gnawed the depressors had larger jumps in GSH and performed better on the tests.

While the findings strongly suggest that chewing relatively hard material is closely associated with an increase in GSH concentration in the brain, the study authors said the exact reasons remain unclear.

They speculated that a rise in GSH simply reflects an increase in cerebral blood flow.

Cerebral blood flow is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue — a disruption in this flow could lead to stroke or cognitive decline.

Studies have linked chewing difficulties to poorer cognitive abilities. 

“Since there are currently no drugs or established practices for boosting brain GSH levels, our findings suggest that chewing moderately hard material could serve as an effective practice for increasing GSH levels in the brain,” the South Korean researchers wrote.

One of the limitations of the new study is that only two materials — gum and wood — were tested.

The study authors said future research should include a variety of substances, different chewing durations, more participants, broader demographics and an evaluation of GSH levels across a range of brain regions.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a brain boost, you may want to consider foods that require more chewing, like raw carrots, celery, almonds and cashews.

Humans cannot digest wood because we lack the enzyme cellulase to break down cellulose — plus, wood may contain splinters and toxicity from chemical treatments.