Chewing improves the ability to...

Chewing improves the ability to recall remembered words by 35%: "When you chew the body releases insulin, which is probably a conditioned response that occurs in anticipation of a meal. The same thing happens when you smell food cooking. Insulin mops up glucose and helps you feel hungry. We know that the brain contains receptors for insulin, molecular docking points that bind onto the insulin molecule. Although their function isn't well-known, we know they are fairly densely packed in the hippocampus which is crucial for memory."