Abstract
Physiological and psychological evaluations are both necessary in order to judge the effects of aromatic substances. We measured the both changes in autonomic nervous system parameters (i.e. heart rate R-R intervals data and skin temperature) and mood scores (i.e. pleasantness, relaxation and anxiety) following drinking chamomile tea (or hot water of same volume and temperature as chamomile tea) after 45 min Kraepelin test. Scores of relaxation increased after drinking chamomile tea. Decrease of heart rate and LF/HF ratio, an indicator of sympathetic nervous activity, were greater after drinking chamomile tea than hot water. Elevation of peripheral skin temperature was higher after drinking chamomile tea than hot water. Significant correlation was observed between changes in relax scores and autonomic nervous system parameters after drinking chamomile tea. From the results, it became obvious that the objective physiological parameters fully correlated with the psychological indices reported subjectively using the standardized questionnaire.
