Gum Gets Soldiers Going

The Army's test results are in: caffeinated gum is safe--and it really works. The service recently experimented with Stay Alert gum at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Md. The gum contains 100 milligrams of caffeine--as much as in a six-ounce cup of coffee--but is absorbed into the body much more quickly. Here's Dr. Gary Kamimori of the Department of Behavioral Biology at WRAIR on the tests of the gum:

In three studies, using multiple administrations of caffeine with Stay Alert gum, [soldiers] reported that alertness, marksmanship -- both simulated and live fire -- vigilance on observation and reconnaissance tasks and physical performance during simulated operations were either maintained or improved as compared to those soldiers who received a placebo chewing gum.

The gum is now available to all military personnel.