Is it possible to control your stress by chewing? Rats can cope with stress this way. Stress impairs the nerve signals that control the ability to think, remember, and learn. Our brains can be damaged by repeated stressful situations. In the worst case, the damages become permanent. For ethical reasons, therefore, no stress studies are made on humans. Instead, poor rats are stressed in the laboratory. The rat trials may be horrible, but if we can learn from them much is gained.
Rats can control their stress by chewing
A scientific study allowed two groups of rats to be exposed to very stressful situations. One group had to chew on a piece of wood to cope with the stress, while the other group had nothing to gnaw at. They then took blood samples of the rats at different times and measured how the stress had affected the ability of brain cells to transmit signals. Within 24 hours, the nerve signals were restored for the rats chewing during the stress, while the signal transmission remained low in the group not chewing.
Relationship between stress and obesity
The study in the rats showed that chewing had a positive impact on the rat brain’s ability to cope with stress. Chewing improves recovery after stress in rats may indicate that chewing is a good strategy for dealing with severe stress even in humans. However, we should not gnaw at pieces of wood because it can cause splinters to stick in the gums. Eating a lot of food is also not good. There is a link between stress and overweight. Since rats can cope with stress by chewing, it is perhaps not so strange if humans work the same. Many stressed people also get the urge to put food and sweets in their mouths, which can cause overweight and other health problems.
From DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.03.008
Now there is finally something to bite into that does not increase the waist circumference. JAW PEER is a product designed to help people who place high demands on themselves. People who feel they are on the verge of being burnt out can chew on a CHEW PEER to cope with stress. This avoids risking damage to the brain that tough stress can lead to. But if the alarm bells ring for burnout, you should not only acquire CHEW PEER, but also acquire healthier habits.