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.

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/chewing-wood-may-boost-memory-and-brain-antioxidants-study-finds/

[u/eliminating_coasts]

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

[u/roamingandy → u/eliminating_coasts]

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

[u/eliminating_coasts → u/roamingandy]

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.

[u/dtalb18981 → u/eliminating_coasts]

I'm in this comment.

Carrots genuinely changed my life.

I was like 360 pounds in high-school and decided to try and lose weight.

One of the tips is to replace unhealthy snacks with a healthy one usually celery is recommended but I used carrots and lost 200 pounds.

The only downside is you do have to swap out of carrots every once in awhile because it can turn you very lightly almost noticeable orange.