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Thanks for the reassuring info Janet. Now I know why I have started clinching my teeth all of the time. It's really a last ditch attempt to retain my brain cells!!!! OH!!, but what if I'm only a SHAM CHEWER? O well, at least I'm putting forth an effort. The clinching cogwheeler, Carl PR 787-826-0225 Fax - Same ----- Original Message ----- From: "janet paterson" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 3:13 AM Subject: Reuters: Gum chewing found to boost brainpower, memory > Gum chewing found to boost brainpower, memory > > LONDON, Mar 13 (Reuters) - The often-maligned act of chewing gum could in > fact make us smarter, according to British research. > > A joint study carried out by the University of Northumbria and the > Cognitive Research Unit, Reading, has found that chewing gum has a positive > effect on thinking, memory and other cognitive tasks. > > "The results were extremely clear and specifically we found that chewing > gum targeted memory," Andrew Scholey of the university's Human Cognitive > Neuroscience Unit said. "People recalled more words and performed better in > tests on working memory." > > Peppermint gum, menthol or spearmint--it makes no difference. The key is > the repetitive chewing motion. > > Scholey, who was to present his findings to a symposium at the British > Psychological Society's annual conference in Blackpool Wednesday, said the > improved performance in a range of memory tests could be attributed to an > increase in heart rate coupled with a surge in insulin to the brain. > > The experiments involved 75 people split into groups of non-chewers, real > chewers and "sham" chewers. > > Prior to undergoing the 25-minute test, the two chewing groups spent 3 > minutes working their real or imaginary gum around their mouths. > > Scholey said the tests included questions relating to short-term memory, > such as recalling words and pictures, and so-called working memory, for > example the ability to retain a person's telephone number. He said the > heart rate of the real chewers after the tests was three beats per minute > faster than the non-chewers, and 1.5 beats per minute faster than the sham > chewers. > > "What we think is that the mild increase in heart rate may improve the > delivery of oxygen and glucose to the brain, enough to improve cognitive > function," he told Reuters. > > Scholey added the other possibility was that chewing gum induced a surge of > insulin due to the mouth watering in anticipation of a meal. > > "It is known that there are insulin receptors in areas of the brain which > are important for learning and memory," he said. > > By Jeremy Laurence > Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. > http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2002/03/13/eline/links/20020313elin027. > html > > janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit perky, parky > pd: 55/41/37 cd: 55/44/43 tel: 613 256 8340 email: [log in to unmask] > smail: 375 Country Street, Almonte, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1A0 > a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn