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/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.

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u/eliminating_coasts Mar 03 '25

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

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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.

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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.

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u/Graybie Mar 03 '25

If you eat enough you even start to turn a bit orange. 

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u/Masterjts Mar 03 '25

You have to eat like 15-20 a day (full sized carrots) for 2-3 weeks before you'd even start to see a change. Easier to just spray tan.

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u/FartyPants69 Mar 03 '25

Don't threaten me with a good time! Love carrots, and I actually turned orange a few times as a kid