A new study, sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute, has discovered that chewing gum during stressful situations can reduce levels of salivary cortisol, lead to a reduction in percieved levels of anxiety, improve alertness and dramatically improve performance on stressful tasks.The study, entitled, "An investigation into the effects of gum chewing on mood and cortisol levels during psychological stress," was presented at the 2008 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine on Saturday, August 30.