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/EponymousTitus]

Would this apply also to wooden toothpicks or liquorice sticks? I’m kind of stumped to think of other bits of wood i would actually want to out into my mouth.

[u/oobiedoobadoobie → u/EponymousTitus]

I was wondering this too because I chew toothpicks compulsively, in part because it helped me quit smoking. Toothpicks = drugs?