The study authors had participants chew on wooden medical tongue depressors or paraffin wax gum for five minutes. Chewing gum has been shown to boost blood flow to the brain, enhancing alertness ...

Imagine running into your local convenience store and saying ... Adams was in a drug store when a young girl bought a piece of paraffin wax chewing gum for a penny. He remembered something ...

But hey, brush your teeth, man ... In 1850, manufacturers swapped out tree sap for paraffin wax. The resulting gum was more stable and cheaper to make, but it was a lame product.