Having memory problems? Spit out that gum

Chewing flavourless gum could hamper your memory, a new British study has revealed.

According to researchers from Cardiff University in the UK, people who chewed gum had a harder time recalling lists of letters and numbers than those who avoided the habit.

Researchers believe that the motion involved in chewing deter the brain’s ability to memorize serial lists.

Just like tapping your finger or foot may distract you from accomplishing the same task, continual movements like chewing on a piece of gum can also interfere with your short-term memory.

The study challenges the prevailing notion that chewing gum, at least when it is flavoured, is a performance enhancer that can boost brainpower.

According to Chicago Tribune, the study provides further proof that human beings are bad at multitasking.

Some previous studies have argued that gum improves concentration by triggering an increase in blood flow through the brain, said lead author Michail Kozlov, of Cardiff University.

But his team found that an oral activity such as gum chewing could interfere with the process that is normally used to remember verbal content, the Daily Mail reported.


As part of the study, the researches gave subjects tasks to perform while chewing gum and without gum.

In one test, the volunteers were told to chomp vigorously and asked to remember a sequence of randomly ordered letters, such as P, V, B, C, D, G, T.

Another group repeated the experiment, but while chewing at a natural pace.

In the second test, students chewed the flavourless gum and tried to pick up the missing item in the sequence.

The study found that it made no difference whether the participants chewed vigorously or naturally. In both cases, “chewing has an overall adverse affect on serial recall,” researchers wrote.

The jury is still out, however, on the role of flavour. In a 2002 study, the volunteers chewed mint-flavoured gum and performed better on short-term word and memory tasks than those who did not chew gum.

But because chewing gum loses its flavour in several minutes, “it seems advisable that chewing gum is only considered a performance enhancer as long as its flavour lasts,” the researchers noted.

The study was recently published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Chicken and eggs can boost memory function

Including eggs and chicken in one’s diet may help boost memory, a new study has found.

This is because the essential nutrient ‘choline’ found in eggs may sharpen aging brains, the report said.

Rhoda Au and her team of researchers from Boston University School of Medicine performed the long-term health study on 1,400 adults, spanning 10 years, New York Daily News reported.

They found that those participants who ate diets packed with plenty of choline, an essential nutrient found in eggs, performed better in memory tests and were less likely to acquire brain changes associated with dementia than those who consumed less choline in their diets.
Other foods high in choline include legumes like soy and kidney beans, saltwater fish, liver and milk, according to Australian news website ninemsn.

According to The Huffington Post UK, Au said that “no one nutrient is a magic bullet against demetia”.

Study: Birth Control Pills Affect Memory

According to a new UC Irvine research, women who take birth control pills experience memory change. This research basically studies the influence of hormonal contraception on memory. Nielsen (researcher) is of the view that medication doesn’t damage memory. It only changes the type of information that the brain remembers.



In spite of the fact that birth control pills are used by more than 100 million women across the globe, till now there are only a handful of studies that have studied the effect of birth control pills on memory.



Researcher, Larry Cahill has contributed these changes to suppressed sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone to prevent pregnancy. Previously, these hormones were linked to strong ‘left- brain’ memory.



In this study, a group of women on contraception and another one not on any form of hormonal contraception were shown photographs of a car accident, that of a mother and her son. The audio narratives were different for some women. Some were told that boy was critically injured after the car hit him, while the others were told that car hit the curb. After one week, all the women were asked to recall the story. Results showed that women who were on hormonal contraceptives for less than a month clearly remembered the main steps in the traumatic event. But women who were not using hormonal contraceptives remembered more details.



Women on oral contraceptives remembered different elements of the story. This shows that estrogen had in fact affected how these women remembered emotional events.

5 Great Gifts For Dads With Memory Loss

It may be extremely difficult to think of a meaningful gift for a father who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease or any other disease resulting in memory loss. However, you try to look at the things that are still with you instead of looking at what you have lost. This will make the situation much better and you can make the most of what you still have in hand. Here are some of the excellent gifting ideas for dads with memory loss.

    Photo album: Create an album of memories that includes some of the important events of your life that you celebrated with your dad. Include photographs of occasions such as family holiday, birthday parties or any other academic or sports event from your childhood. This way, you will not only give your dad a chance to relive the pleasant moments of his life, but you can also thank him for all he can done for you. Moreover, you can ask various questions about his likes and dislikes and also take suggestions about parenting issues. This would make him feel very special as he would be able to share the wisdom that he has gained through his experiences of life.
    Arrange gaming activities for him: Even in the case of memory loss, there are certain things that are still there in his mind, known as the memories that remain in fingertips. These memories include his interest in games or any other out door activities. As a father’s day treat, you can arrange a session of his favourite sports or activities.
    Listen to music, sing and dance together: Gift your dad a collection of his favourite songs as music is said to have great healing power. It can do wonders for the people suffering from memory loss. Make your dad feel comfortable and listen to music along with him. Encourage him to sing along and dance to the tunes.
    Treat him with his favourite food: Invite your father to his favourite restaurant for dinning out and let him order the food of his choice. However, in case he is too ill to dine out, prepare the food of his choice at home. Also ask him to participate in cooking as this will give him a chance to relive the days of togetherness with his family.
    Shower your love and respect on him: One of the most precious gifts is the gift of affection and respect. Even a person with severe memory loss needs to be loved and taken care of. In order to express your feelings, you do not need words. As it is said that actions speak louder that words, you can make him feel special through your actions. Sit close to him, look into his eyes with respect, hold his hands or put your hands around his shoulders in order to make him comfortable. These gestures help in establishing heartfelt connection in moments of silences and they never go unnoticed.


Make your dad feel good by adopting these approaches in order to show your father how special he is. He may not be able to recall everything, but this would surely bring a smile on his face.

Oily fish and blueberries aid memory

Scientists have for the first time discovered what effect multiple, rather than just single, foods with anti-inflammatory effects have on healthy individuals.


The results of a diet study show that bad cholesterol was reduced by 33 per cent, blood lipids by 14 per cent, blood pressure by 8 per cent and a risk marker for blood clots by 26 per cent.

A marker of inflammation in the body was also greatly reduced, while memory and cognitive function were improved.

"The results have exceeded our expectations! I would like to claim that there has been no previous study with similar effects on healthy subjects", says Inger Bjorck, professor of food-related nutrition at Lund University and head of the University`s Antidiabetic Food Centre.

Forty-four healthy, overweight people between the ages of 50 and 75 took part in the diet study.

For four weeks they ate foods, which are presumed to reduce low-grade inflammation in the body, a condition which in turn triggers metabolic syndrome and thus obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The test diet was high in antioxidants, low-GI foods (i.e. slow release carbohydrates), omega fatty acids, wholegrain products, probiotics and viscous dietary fibre.

Examples of foods eaten were oily fish, barley, soy protein, blueberries, almonds, cinnamon, vinegar and a certain type of wholegrain bread.

Some of the products in the food portfolio are not yet available in the shops, but were developed specifically for the study.

Smokers lose one third of everyday memory

A study has found that people who smoke are at an increased risk of losing around one third of their everyday memory, more so than non-smokers.

The Northumbria University study also found that those who kicked the habit saw their ability to recollect information restored to almost the same level as non-smokers.

The study involved more than seventy 18 to 25-year-olds and included a tour of the university’s campus.

Those who took part were asked to recall small details, such as music acts listed to play at the students’ union and tasks completed at various points - known as real world memory test.

Smokers performed badly, remembering just 59 percent of tasks, while those who had given up smoking remembered 74 percent and those who had never smoked recalled 81 percent of tasks.

Dr Tom Heffernan, who leads Northumbria University’s Collaboration for Drug and Alcohol Research Group, said the findings would be useful in anti-smoking campaigns.

“Given that there are up to 10million smokers in the UK and as many 45 million in the United States, it’s important to understand the effects smoking has on everyday cognitive function - of which prospective memory is an excellent example,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“We already know that giving up smoking has huge health benefits for the body, but this study also shows how stopping smoking can have knock-on benefits for cognitive functions too,” he stated.

Clean mouth can help preserve Memory

Keeping your teeth brushed and flossed can help preserve memory, say researchers.

The study at West Virginia University has found a link between gum disease and memory loss.

“Older people might want to know there’s more reason to keep their mouths clean – to brush and floss – than ever,” said Richard Crout, D.M.D., Ph.D., an expert on gum disease and associate dean for research in the WVU School of Dentistry.

“You’ll not only be more likely to keep your teeth, but you’ll also reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and memory loss.

“This could have great implications for health of our aging populations,” Crout said.

“With rates of Alzheimer’s skyrocketing, imagine the benefits of knowing that keeping the mouth free of infection could cut down on cases of dementia,” he added.

The team conducted their research on 270 elderly aged 70 and older. They were given oral exams and memory test.

The findings revealed that 23 per cent of the group suffers from mild to moderate memory loss.

“If you have a gum infection, you’ll have an increased level of inflammatory byproducts,” Crout explained.

“We’re looking for markers in the blood that show inflammation to see if there is a link to memory problems.

“We’d like to go full circle and do an intervention – to clean up some of the problems in the mouth and then see if the inflammatory markers go down,” he added.