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Forget the gum, if you're trying to remember things

Tuesday - 6/19/2012, 10:13am  ET

WASHINGTON - Ever forget where you parked your car? Or the name of the person you just met?

You may be doing too much multitasking.

A new British study finds people who chewed flavorless gum had a harder time memorizing a list of letters and numbers than those who didn't chew.

Researchers from Cardiff University think the motion involved in chewing deters the brain's ability to memorize serial lists, according to The Times of India.

The study challenges the idea that chewing gum improves your memory.

It takes about 8 seconds of intense focus to remember a piece of information.

Researchers suggest creating a mental picture to help you remember things and create a story around the information to try to remember it.

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