New 2025 neuroimaging review finds chewing gum alters brain activity — may briefly boost focus and ease mild stress
A 2025 University of Szczecin neuroimaging review finds chewing gum alters brain activity, temporarily boosting vigilance and easing mild stress by activating sensorimotor networks and engaging attention and stress‑regulation regions, though benefits are short‑lived and context‑dependent.
Key takeaways
- Neuroimaging synthesis: A systematic review of fMRI, fNIRS and EEG studies (1980–March 2025) pooled 32 human studies and mapped chewing‑related brain changes.
- Brain effects: Chewing reliably activates bilateral sensorimotor networks and often engages prefrontal and cingulate regions tied to attention and stress regulation.
- Behavioral impact: Chewing can momentarily boost vigilance and ease mild laboratory stress, but effects are brief and do not consistently improve memory.
- Practical note: Flavour and emotional context can amplify neural responses; long‑term effects of habitual chewing remain unknown.
Study details
“The Neural Correlates of Chewing Gum – A Neuroimaging Review of Its Effects on Brain Activity,” was led by James Chmiel (Institute of Physical Culture Sciences) and Agnieszka Malinowska (Institute of Psychology) and published 18 June 2025. The original review is available as the University of Szczecin neuroimaging review (Brain Sciences), with secondary coverage in Health & Medicine Week / NewsRX (Gale).
What the review looked at
Researchers performed a systematic search of major databases (including PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) for human neuroimaging studies pairing gum chewing with brain measures. After screening, 32 studies met inclusion criteria: 15 fMRI, 10 fNIRS, five EEG and two combined fNIRS+EEG investigations.
Brain areas activated by chewing
Across modalities, chewing strongly recruited a bilateral sensorimotor network — the expected circuitry for mastication — including:
- Primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area for jaw movement and rhythmic chewing control.
- Primary somatosensory cortex for oral and jaw tactile feedback.
- Insula, cerebellum and thalamus for sensory integration and motor coordination.
Beyond motor centers, many studies found activity in higher‑order regions tied to attention and stress regulation, notably the prefrontal cortex (including dorsolateral areas) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
fNIRS and prefrontal blood flow
Functional near‑infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies measured oxygenated haemoglobin in prefrontal regions. Several reported increased prefrontal blood flow during chewing — a marker of heightened metabolic activity in control regions. Effects were often stronger when gum was flavoured or when participants faced mild stressors, suggesting sensory reward and emotional context amplify chewing’s neural impact.
EEG findings: brief shifts toward “relaxed concentration”
EEG and quantitative EEG work reported transient increases in alpha and beta power during chewing. Alpha relates to relaxed wakefulness and inward focus; beta links to alert engagement. The combined alpha–beta pattern has been described as “relaxed concentration.” These shifts were typically short‑lived, fading after chewing stopped, paralleling behavioral findings that alertness boosts are time‑locked to chewing.
What this means for attention and stress
The review paints a nuanced picture: neuroimaging shows chewing modulates networks for attention and stress regulation, and EEG signatures align with heightened vigilance plus calm focus. Behaviorally, gains are modest and depend on context.
- Attention: Chewing can improve vigilance or sustained attention during monotonous or low‑engagement tasks while chewing is ongoing. It does not reliably boost memory or complex cognitive performance.
- Stress relief: Chewing reduces subjective anxiety in some mild stress scenarios (e.g., public‑speaking simulations or mental arithmetic) but offers little benefit in high‑stress medical situations or intensely frustrating tasks.
Limitations the authors flag
“Most studies examine acute effects during or immediately after chewing; long‑term brain or psychological changes from habitual gum use are unknown,” the authors note, and they caution that methodological variability (flavour, sugar, chewing rate, tasks and stress manipulations) makes dose–response conclusions difficult.
How other outlets covered the review
The paper drew prompt press coverage. Summaries emphasized the motor, attention and stress‑regulation findings and highlighted the EEG “relaxed concentration” pattern. Representative pieces include: Fox News summary, AOL report, classroom discussion at TeacherToolkit and additional commentary at Starburst Magazine.
Why chewing might feel calming or focusing
The review suggests several plausible mechanisms:
- Rhythmic motor activity: a bodily rhythm that helps regulate arousal.
- Prefrontal and cingulate engagement: support cognitive control and reduce perceived tension under mild stress.
- Sensory reward: flavour and oral stimulation can amplify neural responses.
- EEG signatures: alpha–beta shifts map onto an alert-yet-relaxed state people report while chewing.
Implications for San Diego
Economic & workplace: For tech, biotech and service employees performing prolonged, monotonous monitoring or data‑review, chewing gum could be a low‑cost, momentary vigilance aid. Employers might consider allowing discreet, sugar‑free gum where safety and hygiene permit.
Education & students: San Diego’s large student population may find limited classroom relevance: chewing can help sustained attention in boring tasks but does not reliably improve memory. Teachers should balance rules and hygiene with small, short‑term focus benefits.
Healthcare & stress management: Clinicians should view chewing as an adjunctive, not a replacement, for evidence‑based therapies. It may ease mild everyday anxiety (e.g., before a brief presentation) but is unlikely to help during intense medical procedures.
Public safety & regulations: Policy makers should weigh communication, hygiene and PPE constraints for safety‑sensitive roles when setting chewing policies.
Research opportunities: Local universities and neuroscience labs (for example, UC San Diego) could test longer‑term effects, standardized gum types and real‑world tasks to address gaps the Szczecin authors highlighted.
Sources and further reading
- University of Szczecin neuroimaging review (Brain Sciences)
- Health & Medicine Week / NewsRX coverage (Gale)
- Fox News summary
- AOL report
- TeacherToolkit classroom discussion
- Secondary commentary (Starburst Magazine)
Bottom line
Researchers recommend more standardized and longer‑term work before drawing strong practical prescriptions. For now, evidence suggests chewing gum offers a modest, short‑term option to sharpen attention during mundane tasks and ease mild stress — but it is not a lasting cognitive fix.
