Zest Science

🚨 If you haven’t checked your Vitamin D levels, here’s your PSA!

Do you supplement with Vitamin D? Have you felt a difference?

Have you experienced mommy-brain? Comment below and tell us the craziest thing that you have forgotten! 👇🏻

Send to a mama who needs to be reminded of her superpower 💌

🧬 Sources:

1. Paternina-Die, M., Martínez-García, M., Martín de Blas, D. et al. Women’s neuroplasticity during gestation, childbirth and postpartum. Nat Neurosci 27, 319–327 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01513-2 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01513-2)

2. Martínez-García M, Paternina-Die M, Barba-Müller E, Martín de Blas D, Beumala L, Cortizo R, Pozzobon C, Marcos-Vidal L, Fernández-Pena A, Picado M, Belmonte-Padilla E, Massó-Rodriguez A, Ballesteros A, Desco M, Vilarroya Ó, Hoekzema E, Carmona S. Do Pregnancy-Induced Brain Changes Reverse? The Brain of a Mother Six Years after Parturition. Brain Sci. 2021 Jan 28;11(2):168. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11020168. PMID: 33525512; PMCID: PMC7912216.

3. Orchard ER, Rutherford HJV, Holmes AJ, Jamadar SD. Matrescence: lifetime impact of motherhood on cognition and the brain. Trends Cogn Sci. 2023 Mar;27(3):302-316. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.12.002. Epub 2023 Jan 4. Erratum in: Trends Cogn Sci. 2023 Oct;27(10):974. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.06.002. PMID: 36609018; PMCID: PMC9957969.

4. Hoekzema, E., Barba-Müller, E., Pozzobon, C. et al. Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in human brain structure. Nat Neurosci 20, 287–296 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4458 (https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4458)

5. Rand S. Eid, Jessica A. Chaiton, Stephanie E. Lieblich, Tamara S. Bodnar, Joanne Weinberg, Liisa A.M. Galea, Early and late effects of maternal experience on hippocampal neurogenesis, microglia,
and the circulating cytokine milieu, Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 78, 2019,

This phenomenon is related to ‘context-dependent memory,’ where being in the same sensory context during learning and recall enhances memory performance. 🧠

The act of chewing gum may also increase blood flow to the brain and improve concentration, further aiding memory retention.

Additionally, the flavor and act of chewing can serve as subtle cues that trigger retrieval pathways in the brain, linking the test environment to the information learned. 📝

While this isn’t a guaranteed method for acing exams, it highlights the fascinating ways sensory experiences can influence cognitive function. This simple habit might give you an edge when it comes to remembering key information. 🔑

🧬 Source:
Baker, J. R., & Bezance, J. B. (2009). The effects of chewing gum on mood, learning, memory, and performance. Nutritional Neuroscience, 12(2), 81-88.