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/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/[deleted] Mar 03 '25

I used to chew my wooden pencils in school too. I didn’t realize I was helping myself get better grades.

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u/Lexinoz Mar 03 '25

It's a self stimming/calming method that many do. You were just acting on instinct.
The worse part is when grown ups don't know the logic behind this and force you to stop, worsening your grades and setting you on a downward spiral of school work.

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u/eddgreat9 Mar 03 '25

Also, stimming is in response to the wiring of ADHD brains which lack the proper balance of the hormone dopamine. Dopamine is needed to focus, perform routine tasks, emotion regulation. Stimming (and chewing as it can be a form of stimming for some) is essentially the brains process of attempting to properly produce the correct dopamine balance in your brain to focus on that thought or task your doing.