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/888mainfestnow Mar 03 '25

Consuming vast amounts of carrots can create Carotnemia from an abundance of beta-carotene that I guess starts with your palms turning orange.

The cure is to back off on the amount of carrots a person consumes at that point.

I've never known anyone that kept consuming a high carrot diet to see how far they could take it after their palms turned orange.

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u/TheMadFlyentist Mar 03 '25

I was brought to the doctor as a baby for a normal checkup and the pediatrician allegedly immediately asked my parents if they had been feeding me lots of carrots, squash, and sweet potato. The answer was yes, as these were my favorite foods, and I would devour them endlessly.

Apparently my parents had not noticed my slow transition into being (mildly) visibly orange. It subsided quickly once my diet was changed with no lasting effects. There are apparently no negative effects except in severe cases or in those that last for months on end, and the effects may be more due to poor diet diversity than the beta carotein itself.

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u/MoreRopePlease Mar 03 '25

Isn't that the same thing that makes flamingoes be pink? They get it from eating shrimp or something like that.

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u/TheMadFlyentist Mar 03 '25

Yes, essentially, although the carotenoids flamingos consume from shrimp are not all (or even any?) beta carotein specifically.

I believe astaxanthin is the main carotenoid found in shrimp/seafood, and it's a strong red pigment but doesn't convert to vitamin A like beta carotein does.