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By gum! It seems the simple act of chewing could help relieve stress.
But the research findings will be of little use to the nation's 139,000 high school students about to sit NCEA - school rules often ban chewing gum from exam rooms.
The study from Australia's Swinburne University was commissioned by the Wrigley Science Institute, a group backed by chewing gum giant Wrigley.
It found chewing gum might reduce anxiety by more than 17 per cent in stressful situations.
The study head, Professor Andrew Scholey, a behavioural and brain sciences expert, said it suggested gum might help some people manage stressful situations and cope with road rage and looming deadlines.
"The data was fairly compelling," said the professor. But while he was convinced by the lab tests, he said it was not certain how the results would translate to the everyday world.
It was not clear why chewing was calming, he said, but it was possible it was because it was associated with relaxing times, such as sharing ameal.
A New Zealand Qualifications Authority spokesman said students wanting to bring chewing gum into exams should check with their schools, as rules varied among exam centres..
Students were banned from disrupting others in exams.
NZQA had alternative advice for reducing stress: "The best stress reliever is good preparation - plenty of sleep and lots of study."
