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Influence of Acute Mental Arithmetic Stress on Taste and Pungency

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Influence of Acute Mental Arithmetic Stress on Taste and Pungency J Nutr Sci Vitaminol, 65, 224–232, 2019 Influence of Acute Mental Arithmetic Stress on Taste and Pungency Asuka SAWAI1, Takuma MOTOMURA1, Tatsuhiro OSHIMA1, Shinya SAWAI2, Tetsuya FUJIKAWA3, Hitoshi FUJII4, Yuichi BANNAI5, Yuichi TAKEDA6, Masato OHNO7 and Osamu TOCHIKUBO8 1 Department of Nutrition and Life Science, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi 243–0292, Japan 2 Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, Yokosuka 239–8686, Japan 3 Center for Health Service Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama 240–8501, Japan 4 Department of Nursing, Mejiro University, Saitama 339–8501, Japan 5 Department of Information Media, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi 243–0292, Japan 6 Center for Basic Education and Integrated Learning, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi 243–0292, Japan 7 National Institute of Technology, Yonago College, Yonago 683–8502, Japan 8 Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236–0004, Japan (Received June 1, 2018) Summary Mental stress is a known risk factor for disease. This study investigated changes in sensations of taste and pungency before and after mental stress. Thirty healthy male university students rested for 20 min, performed mental arithmetic tasks for 10 min, and then underwent measurement of changes in their taste and ability to discern pungency. Taste was measured with the “Taste Disk®,” and pungency was measured by a filter-paper disc method using capsaicin solution. Subjects were not told the order of the reagent solu- tions used. To quantify pain sensation, a weak current applied to the central inner forearm skin by a Pain Vision® quantitative pain sensation analyzer was gradually increased. The degree of stress was measured by portable electrocardiography (ECG). During mental stress, the cognitive threshold of salty taste, sweet taste, and bitterness was significantly decreased, whereas the sensations of pungency and forearm skin pain were increased and showed significant correlation. Based on sympathetic nerve activity analyzed with the ECG, the subjects were divided into the mental stress group and non-mental stress group. The mental stress group experienced an increase in the pungency threshold and sensation of forearm skin pain with significantly high correlations obtained, whereas no correlation was found between these factors in the non-mental stress group. Acute mental stress increased the sensitivity to taste but decreased the sensitivity to the sensation of pungency on the tongue and pain on the skin. Sympathetic activity activated by stress may affect taste and the sensa- tion of pungency. Key Words taste, capsaicin, pungency, hot, mental stress, sympathetic nerve activity, current The number of patients with lifestyle diseases (1), tion, taste disorder in depression due to the exhaustion psychiatric diseases (2), and inflammatory and irritable of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and adrenaline, bowel diseases (3) is increasing in developed countries, the increased demand for zinc, which is a synthetic ele- and the involvement of mental stress has been noted ment of these neurotransmitters, and a decrease in the in these diseases (3, 4). In Japan, efforts are also being dietary intake of nutrients due to decreased appetite are made to require companies to manage the mental stress also considered to be involved (8). In the case of persis- of workers (5). Such social situations have led to an tent stress, cortisol is also secreted in addition to adrena- increase in academic research on stress in recent years. line and noradrenaline, which are enhanced at the time Epidemiological studies have mainly reported that of rapid stress (9). patients with hypertension (6), obese people (7), In recent years, receptors for noradrenaline and depressed patients (8) and those thought to undergo serotonin have also been found in the taste buds (10). long-term stress (9) experience abnormalities in appetite Regarding the relation of stress with dietary intake, and taste. For example, in hypertension with salt sen- although a few studies have reported on changes in sitivity, a decrease in the ability to discern a salty taste taste, with diverse results (7–9, 11–13), to our knowl- due to a high salt intake habit is suggested to be a fac- edge, there are hardly any reports of the effects of men- tor leading to an increase in blood pressure (6). In addi- tal stress on the sensitivity to pungency. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are also known to E-mail: [email protected] affect the central nervous system and to alleviate the 224 Mental Stress Effect on Taste and Pungency 225 Fig. 1. Experimental protocol. sensation of pain (14). The pain stimulus is sensed by Therefore, in this study, we investigated both the effect nociceptors, the stimulation is brought to the forefront, of stress on taste and pungency in subjects under a men- and it is recognized by the cerebrum as pain through tal load and the effect of mental stress on pain sensation sympathetic mediation in the spinal cord. Depending on because pungency is perceived as pain. the magnitude of the pain, a reward system substance METHODS is secreted that relaxes the sensation of pain and plea- sure. Various substances cause the body to feel pain, Subjects. The subjects of this study were 30 male uni- and pungent ingredients contained in foods and spices versity student volunteers (average age 21.0761.31 y). are one of them (14). Pungent taste is experienced as Subjects were selected according to the following crite- a pain sensation, not taste, as it causes pain, perspira- ria: 1) body mass index (BMI) from 18.5 to 24 kg/m2, tion, fever, and psychological aspects such as pleasure 2) moderate resistance to pungency as they do not eat associated with the sensation of pain (14). Red pepper pungent foods every day, but they do not dislike pungent is one of the spices used in various countries in Asia, foods, 3) no diseases of the cardiovascular system or gas- and it has been used in meals in various ways in Japan trointestinal tract, and 4) no routine exposure to strong in recent years (15). Capsaicin, the main ingredient in stress conditions. The average height of the subjects was hot chili peppers, stimulates the temperature sensation 171.866.5 cm, the average weight was 63.8610.0 kg, through transient receptor potential cation channel and the average BMI was 21.662.7 kg/m2. subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) and induces a sensa- Measurements. The subjects wore electrocardiogra- tion of heat (16). It also highly influences physiological phy (ECG) electrodes (disposable monitoring electrode functions such as increasing body heat production even L bead load; Nihon Kohden Industry Co., Ltd.) attached when a small amount is ingested orally (17). Red pep- to an ECG monitoring system (TM2425-ECG; A & D per and capsaicin help to expend body fat (17) and are Company) (22). Subjects were examined during week- used as analgesics (18) to aid in health care. However, days from 9 am to 12 am while being kept fasted. To these so-called spices including chilies are highly irritat- avoid effects from differences in hunger state and taste ing to the gastrointestinal mucosal tissue (19–21), so as sensation of the subjects’ ingested breakfast on the stimulants in colorectal diseases, these contents need to experimental results, we required the subjects to finish be considered depending on the symptoms. breakfast 3 h before the experiment, not to ingest any 226 SAWAI A et al. Table 1. Changes in cardiovascular indices caused by mental stress. Parasympathetic Sympathetic SBP (mmHg) DBP (mmHg) HR (beats/min) nerve activity (ms2) nerve activity (ratio) Rest 1 115.7624 66.4615 86.4626 28.7614.1 2.660.9 Taste test 120.1620 67.7613 81.7621 30.4615.6 2.460.6 (before mental stress test) Measured pain sensation 123.6621 73.361.4 85.6620 29.1613.8 2.260.6 (before mental stress tset) Pungency test 127.1623 74.5618 84.6624 28.2615.3 2.260.6 (before mental stress test) Rest 2 126.6622 74.4623 80.1616 28.7613.4 2.160.6 Mental arithmetic stress test 145.7626 ab 74.2619 a 88.5623 b 26.8613.9 ab 2.960.8 ab Taste test 140.8624 c 74.0615 79.2619 28.1615.8 2.860.7 c (after mental stress test) Measured pain sensation 139623 c 70.2615 83.3621 30.4627.7 c 2.760.6 c (after mental stress test) Pungency test 138.3622 c 66.2619 82.3616 27.4618.1 2.660.6 c (after mental stress test) The values are expressed as the mean6SD. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HR, heart rate. Comparison by t-test. p,0.05. a, vs. rest 1; b, vs. rest 2; c, vs. each rest period (before mental stress test). stimulants or taste anything, and to drink only water. tolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure On the day of the experiment, subjects were confirmed (DBP), and mean LF/HF ratio were calculated for the not to have taken breakfast or food and drink other than initial resting period and during the stress tests (25, 26). water and not to have smoked. Taste test. The taste test was conduct using the filter- The protocol is shown in Fig. 1. The subjects rinsed paper disc method (24). The filter papers were placed in the inside of their mouth with water and then sat at a 37˚C water bath of liquids with various percent con- rest. Thereafter, ECG of each subject was measured at centrations of four tastes: sweet: 0.3, 2.5, 10, 20, and rest for 20 min (rest 1). Then, the tests of taste, the pain 80%; sour: 0.0, 0.2, 2, 4, and 8%; salty: 0.3, 1.25, 5, sensation and pungency were conducted while with 10, and 20%; and bitter: 0.001, 0.02, 0.1, 0.5, and 4% eyes masked.
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