Benefits of Gum as a Nootropic
People have been chewing gum for at least 5,000 years to treat mouth infections and prevent tooth decay. Nowadays, people chew more than 100,000 tons of gum each year, amounting to more than 187 billion hours of chew-time. They don’t do it just to keep their breath fresh or give their mouth something to do. While some adults chew a special sort of gum to fight off their nicotine cravings, kids all over the world love it because it’s sweet and they can blow bubbles with it.
Yet many people see chewing gum as an ugly habit akin to smoking. They’ll tell you how wrong and unhealthy it is and how it’s even illegal in some parts of the world. While it’s true that, for example, Singapore has a ban on gum, it has nothing to do with the act of chewing itself. Instead, it’s about preventing littering and protecting the environment.
The truth is that there are many health benefits to chewing the standard, sugar-free gum. Add in a few carefully chosen brain-enhancing ingredients and you have an incredibly potent nootropic. But don’t take our word for it; here’s what science has to say on this topic.
Why Chewing Gum Is Good for You
Of course, the top benefit of chewing sugar-free gum is that it protects your teeth and your overall oral health. If you chew it right after a meal, it will boost your saliva production, thus neutralizing the eneacidity in the mouth and preventing dental plaque from forming. For this reason, even dentists will often recommend it to their patients. But that’s not all that gum is good for.
There is an extensive body of research that proves the numerous benefits of chewing gum on brain function, too. For one, it reduces occupational stress and helps you focus on the tasks at hand. It can also help improve certain aspects of your memory by boosting the flow of blood to the brain. Furthermore, it may lower your cortisol levels, thus preventing brain fog and other negative effects this hormone causes.
As you can see, the cognitive benefits of chewing gum are vast and scientifically significant. You know what else has a very positive effect on your brain function? Nootropics, of course.
The Lowdown on Nootropics
If you’ve been following Neuro, chances are you already know a lot about nootropics. But in case you don’t, here’s a quick overview to get you up to speed.
Nootropics are all the different nutrients and compounds proven to have a positive effect on the brain. They help boost your energy and productivity, reduce stress, and improve your mood. The research on the effects of most nootropics is still in progress, but there are some that we already know are beneficial.
First of all, there’s caffeine, which successfully inhibits the cells that slow down brain function. According to research, it may also play an important role in preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Then there’s L-theanine, an ingredient naturally found in green tea. Studies show that it improves your attention and reduces the negative effects of stress on your whole body.
Caffeine can also boost your metabolism!
Finally, there are vitamins B6 and B12 that play an important role in cell metabolism, as well as the production of red blood cells. In doing so, they ensure a steady flow of blood to and from the brain.
So when you mix these four ingredients together, you get a very powerful brain-boosting combo. But why not just drink green tea and coffee instead of chewing a nootropic gum? Well, there’s a very good reason which you’re about to find out.
How Nootropic Chewing Gum Works
Let’s take coffee as an example. One cup of everyone’s favorite warm beverage usually contains about 100mg of caffeine. At the same time, a single piece of Neuro gum or mints only has 40mg of it, yet it still manages to achieve the same effect. What’s more, according to research, it achieves this effect much faster. What’s the secret, you ask? It’s not really a secret, but a tried and true method of applying certain types of medication.
When you chew a nootropic gum, the nutrients contained in it instantly mix with your saliva and get in contact with the tissue that lines the mouth. In turn, this gives them a direct entry point into your bloodstream, thus allowing them to achieve their effect faster than they otherwise would. This is called buccal administration and doctors sometimes prefer it to the standard oral administration.
Unlike buccal administration, when you take a pill orally, it has to travel through your digestive tract before the active compounds can reach their designated cells. In doing so, it undergoes all the processes that food does when it enters your system. This means that it goes to your stomach first, then to your intestines, and finally to your liver. During this process, most medications will often lose a lot of their starting power, which is why many pills are large and therefore difficult to swallow.
In recent years, buccal administration has become the preferred method for vitamin and mineral delivery. Adding vitamins B6 and B12, two well-known nootropics, to a chewing gum thus made a lot of sense. As for caffeine, studies show that it’s best to take it in moderate amounts because it can cause withdrawal symptoms when taken copiously. So with a nootropic chewing gum, you’re effectively lowering your daily intake by 60 percent and still getting the exact same benefits.
The Takeaway
As you can see from the plethora of scientific evidence, even chewing the standard, sugar-free gum can benefit your brain in many different ways. Add a few essential nootropics and you have the ultimate brain-enhancing mix.
Like the best chewing gums out there, Neuro uses a sugar-free formula with a minty flavor that gives you fresh breath. But in addition to that, the nootropics will give you a lot of energy to go through your day and enough focus and brain power to approach all the different tasks that come your way. Moreover, you’ll also be able to deal with stress and anxiety in a more efficient manner.
So, the message here is simple – keep on chewing!
Keep reading: What is a good starter regimen of nootropics?
Hi! We’re Team Neuro, aficionados of all things brain-related, from creativity to working out. With backgrounds in art, science, and athletics, we love delving into all the potentials of the human body.
We also created the world's first sugar-free nootropic caffeine gum that utilizes the effects of caffeine and L-theanine, made to help you optimize your mind — anywhere, anytime. Find out more here.
