When stumped with a problem, you may have heard the expression to chew on it.  

A Stanford University doctoral candidate is trying to help you do just that.  Fresh from earning his degree in molecular and cell biology from the University of California at Berkeley (with Phi Beta Kappa honors, no less), Matt Davidson has introduced a new memory improving gum called THINK Gum. 

Part of a rapidly expanding class of ”functional foods,” the gum is his own concoction of four sweeteners, including xylitol for dental health, herbal extracts, and 20mg of natural caffeine.  He claims it helped enhance his own mental performance during school, and now he wants to share the gum’s potential to increase alertness and concentration with the rest of the world.  Xylitol, watch out!  

Will this become the new addiction for South Korea’s sleep deprived students already frazzled from caffeinated energy drinks (such as Bacchus F), coffee, and/or ADHD meds such as Ritalin?

From his site:
“Think Gum is a sugar-free, candy-coated chewing gum carefully designed to enhance mental performance. It contains potent herbs and herbal extracts that are scientifically demonstrated to improve concentration, increase alertness, reduce careless errors and enhance information recall. Each serving also contains 20 mg of natural caffeine to give the chewer an always needed energy boost. Chewing a serving of Think Gum is equivalent to drinking half a can of caffeinated soda.”

Should the gum begin import to South Korea anytime soon, it may face stiff competition from manufacturers like LOTTE.   The South Korean/Japanese confectioner is the domestic market leader for chewing gum and sells its own “natural herbal extract” or ginseng products.   THINK gum is the latest newcomer in a long line of peppy gums to hit the market in the U.S.  Check out more performance-enhancing gums (that surprisingly look like parodies of gum) here: 

[TIME]

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