Like anyone who has ever been on a date knows, cancel if you don’t have gum. Gum is crucial. That is, scent is crucial when it comes to homo sapiens looking to pursue biological immortality.

Chewing gum stimulates blood flow to the brain. Scientific American reported that in a controlled study, individuals who chewed [gum] had higher accuracy, reaction times and attention spans when asked what they remembered from a 30-minute presentation.

The mechanism is simple: chewing increases the amount of blood flow to the brain. This means the brain has more energy and oxygen to perform tasks. Scientific American concluded, “More oxygen can keep people alert.” This is great news. I don’t know about you, but I thrive when my cellular respiration and metabolism aren’t restricted.

Armed with this information, I was adamantly perplexed with the uncanny desire to interview CSUSM students to see how many chewed gum. Sure, the fancy scientists from the city with all their shiny-gizmos, “empirical data” and “bourgeois funding” found that chewing gum helped. But what did the students have to say?

Thirty-three CSUSM students were interviewed. They were asked five simple questions: whether or not they chew gum, how many times per week do they chew gum, how long do they chew it for, whether or not they multitask while chewing and whether or not they think it helps them focus.

Out of the 33 students questioned, 26 of them identified as habitual gum-users (ranging anywhere from daily-users to three to five days a week of use during lecture). They chewed most when in lecture, studying or driving. Students who did not chew gum habitually said they chewed anywhere from 10 to 50 times a year. Eighteen students said that chewing allowed them to focus better. Reasons for not chewing were dental health (disproven) and distraction. The average chew time for students ranges from 30 minutes to as much as four hours per stick. Overall, in comparison with the 14,000 student population, 79 percent of students with a standard deviation of 10 chewed gum.

Not only does chewing gum allow students to focus better, but the oxygen boost means more energy to think, study, pay attention and be alert during lectures. So, the next time you’re chewing gum, realize it’s helping you, not hurting—and please, think twice before sticking it under a desk.