r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Mar 03 '25

Neuroscience Chewing different materials affects the brain and a new study found that chewing on wood (wooden tongue depressors), compared to chewing gum, led to a significant increase in a natural brain antioxidant called glutathione, and better performance on memory tasks.

https://www.psypost.org/chewing-wood-may-boost-memory-and-brain-antioxidants-study-finds/
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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '25

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u/mycofirsttime Mar 03 '25

My pencils and pens were absolutely WRECKED growing up. My nails. Straws. Lollipop sticks. All wrecked.

Not sure what changed once i hit my mid-20s, I don’t chew like that nearly as much. Interesting that it has a positive effect on the brain rather than just being an impulse problem.

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u/IamGabyGroot Mar 03 '25

You probably replaced it with something else. For me it was lists. Once I began to work, lists became my wood chewing.

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u/mycofirsttime Mar 03 '25

Smoking cigarettes for dopamine idk