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/
15.2k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

567 comments sorted by

View all comments

2.5k

u/Tanukifan Mar 03 '25

Their conclusion was:

Chewing moderately hard material elevates brain antioxidant levels such as GSH, potentially influencing cognitive function.

So its not specifically wood that gives the effect, even if they tested it with wood.

1.2k

u/eliminating_coasts Mar 03 '25

If only they'd tested carrots, we could have much less strange immediate recommendations.

309

u/roamingandy Mar 03 '25

Not sure they'd work as you're eating carrots rather than chewing on them for a prolonged time like wood or gum.

269

u/eliminating_coasts Mar 03 '25

I think if chewing is the thing that causes the effect, there's not much harm in eating a vast quantity of uncooked and peeled but unchopped carrots - they're not particularly energy dense, high in fibre and vitamins etc. so you probably could just keep munching carrots like a horse for hours without having a significant negative effect.

22

u/masklinn Mar 03 '25

Carrots are more crunchy than chewy. You go through them fast.

I’d suggest liquorice roots. They are quite woody and chewy, and I prefer the taste of the raw root to that of liquorice sweets.

28

u/samsaruhhh Mar 03 '25

It's not difficult to overdose on licorice if I'm remembering correctly, it can raise blood pressure, lower potassium levels, affect heart rhythms among other things..

1

u/istara Mar 04 '25

Also to be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

4

u/Eastern-Operation340 Mar 03 '25

My mom grew fennel as a kid. It was at the edge of the garden, we would such and chump of the stems and such all day as kids. Driveway looked like it had dried seaweed on it.

1

u/notashroom Mar 03 '25

Sassafras roots would probably be safer and also very tasty.