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Think Gum Gives Students Memory Boost

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) - Think all gum is created equal? Think again, because now there's Think Gum.

Daniel Rozenblatt has been an avid gum chewer since middle school. He says this gum is different.

"It helps me focus," said Rozenblatt. "Chewing gum has always helped me focus, and I think maybe the added ingredient of caffeine is a little bit better than some of the other gums I've had."

Stanford grad student Matt Davidson came up with the idea.

"So what I would do is buy peppermint gum, and then put rosemary in my gum and chew it during exams," said Davidson. "And then I did pretty well, so after I graduated, I thought this would be a great product for other students to help them in school."

Think Gum is sugar free and has a little caffeine.

Davidson researched the other ingredients include guarana and gingko biloba.

"Gingko biloba can speed short term working memory," said Davidson.

San Jose State nutrition professor Dr. Marjorie Freedman considers the memory boost claim a sticking point.

"One of the issues is getting the active ingredients in this gum into your blood stream ultimately to your brain where it's going to have an effect," said Freedman.

Davidson says the ingredient in Think Gum can provide benefits, and he's planning clinical trials to prove it.

Think Gum is a hot seller on the Stanford campus, especially during midterms and finals. The sales have gone international, and Davidson has had so many requests, he's had to place another order for a million more packets.

Rozenblatt says he chews the gum five times a day, and is convinced it helped him do better on a grad school entrance exam. He says Think Gum offers a competitive edge worth sinking your teeth into.