Chewing gum may sharpen focus and ease mild stress, new review finds
A 2025 University of Szczecin neuroimaging review of 32 studies finds chewing gum activates brain networks tied to attention, alertness and stress regulation, producing brief states of relaxed concentration and short-term cognitive benefits, the authors report.
- Neuroimaging synthesis: A systematic review of 32 human neuroimaging studies (1980–March 2025) finds reliable sensorimotor and attention‑network activation.
- Short-lived gains: Chewing produces transient increases in alertness and EEG alpha/beta patterns often described as “relaxed concentration.”
- Stress regulation: Imaging and behavioral data suggest chewing can reduce mild, everyday anxiety by engaging prefrontal and cingulate systems.
- Limited real-world proof: Effects are brief, memory gains are inconsistent, and the review calls for better-controlled, longer studies.
What the review did and why it matters
The team — lead author James Chmiel with Agnieszka Malinowska and colleagues at the University of Szczecin, Poland — carried out a systematic neuroimaging review of 32 human studies to gather scattered evidence on how chewing affects the brain.
Methods: The review combined results from 15 fMRI studies, 10 fNIRS studies, two combined fNIRS+EEG studies and five EEG-only studies to map consistent activation patterns across modalities.
Why it matters: Chewing gum is a low-cost, ubiquitous behavior. If it reliably nudges attention and emotion-regulation systems, it could be a simple tool to ease mild stress or boost short-term alertness — but the review stresses the effects are state-like and short-lived.
Which brain areas light up when you chew
Sensorimotor and motor control areas
Chewing consistently activates bilateral primary motor and somatosensory cortices, the supplementary motor area, insula, cerebellum and thalamus — regions responsible for controlling and sensing jaw movement and oral sensation.
Attention and control areas
Several fMRI studies in the review report activation in prefrontal and cingulate regions — networks linked to attention, alertness and cognitive control. These effects were more likely in studies that used flavoured gum or included mild stress tasks.
fNIRS work also shows increased oxygenated blood flow in the prefrontal cortex during chewing, suggesting elevated cortical engagement in planning and emotional regulation when flavour or stressors are present.
EEG findings and the “relaxed concentration” effect
EEG and quantitative EEG studies summarized in the review report transient increases in alpha and beta power while chewing — patterns often associated with calm alertness. Reporters and academics describe this as a state of relaxed concentration
, meaning heightened vigilance without heightened tension.
Important limitation: EEG changes are short-term; alertness boosts commonly fade after chewing stops. The review emphasizes these are state-like shifts, not evidence of lasting neural change.
Does chewing gum improve attention or memory?
Behavioral studies tied to the imaging results show small, temporary gains in sustained attention on boring or repetitive tasks. However, chewing did not reliably improve memory performance (for example, recalling word lists or stories), and any attention benefit typically dissipated after chewing ended.
Stress relief and emotional regulation
In lab tasks designed to create mild stress (public speaking practice, mental math), participants who chewed gum often reported lower anxiety than controls. Imaging supports this, with engagement of the insula, cingulate and prefrontal regions implicated in emotion regulation.
Caveat: Chewing did not reliably reduce anxiety in very high-stress clinical contexts (for example, immediately before surgery) and was not effective in tasks provoking strong frustration.
Proposed mechanisms from the review
- Arousal and vigilance: Repetitive chewing may stimulate brainstem and cortical arousal systems, producing EEG shifts and increased prefrontal blood flow.
- Sensorimotor background support: Low-demand motor activity may stabilize arousal and supply sensorimotor input that helps maintain attention during dull tasks.
- Top-down emotional control: Increased prefrontal engagement while chewing — especially under mild stress — could support regulation of emotional responses and subjective stress reduction.
Limits and calls for better studies
The review highlights methodological variability across the 32 studies: differing tasks, small sample sizes, and mixed behavioral measures. Neural correlates do not prove meaningful, durable improvements in real-world performance. The authors call for larger, better-controlled, longer-term trials.
How the media and schools are responding
News coverage and teacher resources picked up the findings, with some headlines emphasizing focus and calm. For media summaries see Fox News, AOL, and a teacher-focused summary at Teacher Toolkit.
Implications for Sonoma, California
Students and teachers: Local schools weighing gum policies may consider that chewing can offer small, short-term attention gains during routine or repetitive tasks. District rules on cleanliness and safety remain important; limited allowances (study sessions, review periods) with clean-up expectations are a practical approach.
Workplaces and meetings: Wineries, small businesses and nonprofits in Sonoma that run long tastings or meetings might trial offering sugar-free gum in staff rooms or during lengthy sessions as a low-cost nudge for alertness and mild stress relief, recognizing benefits are brief.
Public health messaging: Health educators can note that chewing appears to support short-lived attention and mild stress relief, particularly with flavoured gum, while stressing moderation and that chewing is not a substitute for therapy or medical care for significant anxiety.
Older residents: Recommendations for seniors should be cautious — stimulation of brain networks does not equal long-term cognitive benefit. Seniors with dental or swallowing concerns should consult their doctors before regular chewing.
Practical tips: Choose sugar-free gum to protect teeth, be mindful of social settings, and use gum as a short-term tool for study sessions, long drives, or easing mild stress rather than expecting lasting boosts.
Reporting and sources
Primary review: “The Neural Correlates of Chewing Gum – A Neuroimaging Review of Its Effects on Brain Activity,” Brain Sciences, 2025.
Media coverage and summaries: Fox News, AOL, Teacher Toolkit.
