Chewing Gum: Lab Experiment

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Introduction
General Introduction
Chewing gum is a substance designed to be chewed but not swallowed. It comes in many flavours, sizes and types. Some kinds of chewing gum have a polyol coating. It usually contains sugar but is also available in sugar-free forms. It is manufactured by many companies including Wrigley Company, The Hershey Company and Cadbury Trebor Basset.
Chewing gum is made of a mixture of gum bases, sugar and other additional flavourings. These gum bases are essentially synthetic rubbers that have the same temperature profile as chicle (a form of rubber). When chewed, the rubber releases these flavourings into the mouth. (How Stuff Works, 2000)
Humans are not in control of most of our memory systems. The brain has many …show more content…

The findings of this research are relevant because it might help these students improve their marks and test methods in a safe, legitimate and worthwhile way.
Sugar decreases attention span and memory. When people consume sugar and then attempt challenging tasks, the brain’s hypothalamus allows the body to release cortisol. Known as the stress hormone, this substance impedes memory. When people’s bodies are flooded with cortisol, they struggle to pay attention. When their attention is elsewhere, they find it difficult to retain information they’re taught. (Learning Liftoff, 2015)
This study is beneficial because students are always looking for ways to improve their studying and test performance. This might be an effective, legal and safe method for students to obtain an advantage. It is also a cheaper method of concentration than extra lessons. The average price of an extra lesson ranges between R200-R500. An online course for improving concentration on www.universalclass.com costs R670,36. Much of these expenses may be avoided by proper concentration skills being learnt. This research discussed if this method is …show more content…

(Smith, 2010) conducted an experiment at the same university to determine whether chewing gum improved mood and mental performance. Volunteers carried out tasks that measure different brain functions. Some volunteers chewed gum and others did not. Volunteers were stratified on chewing habit and anxiety level. Approximately, half of the volunteers were given mint gum and half fruit gum. The volunteers rated their mood at the start and end of each session and had their heart rate monitored over the session. Saliva samples were taken to allow cortisol levels (good indicator of alertness and stress) to be assayed. During the session, volunteers carried out tasks measuring a range of cognitive functions (aspects of memory, selective and sustained attention, psychomotor speed and accuracy). Chewing gum was associated with greater alertness and a more positive mood. Reaction times were quicker in the gum condition, and this effect became bigger as the task became more difficult. Chewing gum also improved selective and sustained attention. Heart rate and cortisol levels were higher when chewing which confirms the alerting effect of chewing

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