The effects of gum’s ingredients is an important factor that contributes to how gum flavors affect memory. Sorbitol is the main ingredient …show more content…
Attention is something humans need while performing basic actions everyday. Everything from walking to taking a test requires a great deal of attention. However, in order to be able to pay attention, one needs energy. When someone is deprived of sleep, they are unable to concentrate and can fall asleep at any moment; therefore, people will not be able to concentrate. The high amounts of sugar in gum makes chewing it give one the alertness or attention needed. Not only because of the sugar, but using one’s jaw to chew is continuously putting their face in action, possibly allowing them to pay more attention. Being able to pay attention over a seemingly long period of time is called vigilance; vigilance is a fundamental component when taking a memory test. Whether it is a short term memory test or a long term memory test, attention is still vital to do well. A study shows a “beneficial effect” of chewing gum on an experiment (Tucha & Koerts, 2012, p. 246). In the beginning of the experiment, the control group was scoring higher than the group chewing the gum. However, as the experimented continued for some time the group chewing gum scored much higher than the control group. These results showed that gum helps one with their vigilance because gum helps them stay focused for a longer period of time. Therefore, in order for the gum’s …show more content…
Immediate recall is when someone remembers something immediately or right after is it learned. Delayed recall is when someone remembers something after an extended period of time. A study shows that chewing a piece of sugar free gum showed better results in both in immediate and delayed recall. The data of another study shows that if gum is chewed at the time of when the information is being learned or recalled, then the ability of the person to recall it will be sharpened (Tucha & Koerts, 2012, p. 244).The reason for this may be that because gum stimulates the brain through the sugar, it takes a bit of time for the body to formulate the sugar or glucose and turn it into energy (Tucha & Koerts, 2012, p. 245-246). Energy is essential to be able to recall things from your memory. “The cerebral cortex plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness. It is divided into four main regions or lobes, which cover both hemispheres: the frontal lobe (involved in conscious thought and higher mental functions such as decision-making, particularly in that part of the frontal lobe known as the prefrontal cortex, and plays an important part in processing short-term memories and retaining longer term memories which are not task-based)” The glucose in the gum travels to this area of the brain when taken