IntroductionIn middle school, before taking a big test, teachers always handed out peppermint or a piece of chewing gum. The purpose behind this seemed unclear. However, further research revealed some interesting facts about Big Red peppermint candies and cinnamon-flavored gum. Peppermint candies are made with peppermint oil, extracted from the peppermint plant. This is why gummies can have the same effects as the oil itself. People believe that the cerebral effects associated with peppermint are related to the smell of peppermint rather than its ingestion. Cinnamon is metabolized into sodium benzoate and eating cinnamon significantly raises the level of sodium benzoate in your brain. Recent studies have shown that sodium benzoate helps brain function and may prevent neurological disorders. It does this by creating a significant number of chemicals in the brain called neurotropic factors. These factors stimulate the birth of new neurons and promote the survival of existing neurons. This significantly slows degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In fact, peppermint and Big Red gum are said to increase a person's alertness, motivation, and performance. They also reduce fatigue, anxiety and frustration. This helps the person concentrate better. Fragrances also play an important role. The smell travels to the limbic system of your brain. This area affects your hormones and mood. The important parts of the limbic system are the hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus. The hypothalamus regulates hormones, the amygdala is responsible for emotions, and the hippocampus is important for memory. All of these functions play a role when performing a test. The goal of this experiment is to ...... middle of paper ...... speak like Big Red. Some students performed better without peppermint or Big Red. However, it was very little. By taking the average, it shows the general trend among participants. DiscussionFrom this experiment, it was concluded that the hypothesis was correct. Big Red improved test scores for a majority of students. Basic research has supported the idea that it increases a person's alertness, motivation, and performance. This helped people concentrate better and improve test scores. Additionally, odors may have influenced the limbic system, which also contributed. Even if the hypothesis was correct, the experiment could be improved. If time had permitted, longer tests could have been used. This would prove or disprove the idea that peppermint or Big Red helps with fatigue. Additionally, this test would be more realistic because most do not only last two minutes..