Kēhaunani Y

Chew Gum in School

- Kēhaunani

Recently a study took 108 students and divided them into into two groups. One group chewed gum and the other did not. The students who chewed gum during a test had a 3% increase in their test scores and better final grades than the kids who did not chew gum. Students should be able to chew gum in school. It has many health benefits, helps with attention because of its rhythmic chewing, and can help the overall health of teeth.

Who wants to chew gum in school? I know I do! And who wants to do better in school? I do! Well you're in luck because many studies such as these state that “gum chewing students had a 3% increase in test scores and better final grades” (Gajilan). Also, chewing gum can help your brain.

Chewing gum has many health benefits. It has positive effects like having an increase in glucose level, which makes students more alert. It can also help people increase their attention and can get mental tasks done 20% more efficiently. In fact, students do 26%-36% better during tests while chewing gum (McCarthy).

Chewing gum can also help with your attention because when you chew it in a rhythm your brain remembers the rhythm and does it in the same beat. Some people complain about the noise, but really, it helps the student. 

It can also help whiten teeth and make your breath fresher. This is because it creates saliva in your mouth. The more saliva in your mouth the the less bacteria is in it. Some gums are sweetened by something called xylitol and it boosts salivation and helps avoid the duplication of bacteria. “extra saliva produced by chewing may seem to neutralize the digestive acid inside the stomach, which had leaked into one’s esophagus. This activity also seemed to assist in forcing back the fluids into the stomach.” This offers relief from heartburn (Wrigley).

Some people may argue that chewing gum is really bad for your teeth and health. However it is the exact opposite. For example, chewing gum helps keep teeth white and fresh. As long as you brush your teeth you will be perfectly fine! Therefore, chewing gum can be healthy and beneficial, so go out and buy a pack of gum. If people donʻt chew gum they wonʻt get the extra health benefits. Eventually they might get some problems that could have been fixed if they had chewed more gum. Clearly kids should be allowed to chew gum during school.