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Relationships Between Gum-Chewing and Stress.
Michiyo Konno1, Tomotaka Takeda2, Yoshiaki Kawakami2
1Department of Oral Health and Clinical Science, Division of Sports Dentistry, Tokyo Dental College, 2-9-18, Misaki, Chiyoda, 101-0061, Japan. mkonno@tdc.ac.jp.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|January 20, 2016
Summary
Chewing gum significantly reduced stress responses in adults, enhancing brain activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and improving psychological well-being. This suggests gum-chewing may aid in stress management.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Physiology
Background:
- Chewing is linked to stress modification in humans and animals.
- The right prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulates stress responses, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
- Negative emotional stimuli can be assessed using the International Affective Digitized Sounds-2 (IADS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological and psychological effects of gum-chewing on stress responses.
- To measure prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during auditory-induced stress.
Main Methods:
- Eleven healthy adults participated in a study involving auditory stimuli (negative valence from IADS) with and without gum-chewing.
- Measurements included right medial PFC oxygenation (NIRS), electroencephalogram (EEG) for alpha waves, heart rate (HR), and self-reported anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI) and mood (visual analogue scale - VAS).
Main Results:
- Gum-chewing significantly increased PFC activation, alpha wave activity, and heart rate (HR).
- Participants reported higher VAS scores (more pleasant) and lower STAI levels (less anxious) when chewing gum.
- Gum-chewing modulated physiological and psychological responses to negative auditory stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Gum-chewing appears to reduce stress-related physiological and psychological responses.
- The observed PFC activation during gum-chewing may influence the HPA axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS).
- Findings suggest gum-chewing could be a potential strategy for stress coping.
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