This study was designed to evaluate whether mental stress was decreased by chewing Gummi candies and chewing gum.
The subjects consisted of 10 male students without malocclusion at Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine. The test materials were a candy called Gummi (Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., Gummi Grape 100 (
®)) and chewing gum produced for this study. Stress was imposed by the addition test method. The subjects rested for 20 min after starting the experiment. Then, the subjects performed a 1-minute addition test (addition test group). After resting for 20 min, the subjects chewed Gummi for 5 min and performed a 1-minute addition test during Gummi chewing (Gummi group). Furthermore, after resting for 20 min, the subjects chewed chewing gum for 5 min and perfomed a 1-minute addition test during gum chewing (chewing gum group). The changes in plasma ACTH, serum cortisol, plasma adrenaline, plasma noradrenaline, facial skin temperature by thermography, blood pressure, pulse rate, SpO
2 and ECG were observed at rest and during addition tests while the subjects chewed nothing, Gummi, or chewing gum.
The plasma ACTH concentrations were 12.7±8.7 pg/ml (mean±SD) at rest, 11.6 ±9.3 pg/ml after the addition test without gum chewing, 8.2±3.9 pg/ml after Gummi chewing, and 8.4±5.3 pg/ml after gum chewing. The serum cortisol concentrations were 8.6±4.0 jig/dl at rest, 8.9±4.0 μg/dl after the addition test without gum chewing, 8.1±3.4 μg/dl after Gummi chewing, and 6.3±2.0 μg/dl after gum chewing. The plasma adrenaline concentrations were 110.8±48.3 pg/ml at rest, 119.0±59.0 pg/ml after the addition test without gum chewing, 106.3±38.4 pg/ml after Gummi chewing, and 89.7±29.9 pg/ml after gum chewing. The plasma noradrenaline concentrations were 556.8±307.3 pg/ml at rest, 593.8±319.3 pg/ml after the addition test without gum chewing, 530.9±223.5 pg/ml after Gummi chewing, and 492.0±169.6 pg/ml after gum chewing. The frequencies of EDA were 25.0±6.0 during the addition test without gum chewing, 21.1±6.6 during the addition test with Gummi chewing, and 22.3±4.8 during the addition test with gum chewing. The facial skin temperatures were 34.28±0.26°C at rest, 34.41±0.24°C after the addition test without gum chewing, 34.13 ± 0.22t before the addition test during Gummi chewing, 34.21±0.20° after Gummi chewing, 34.14±0.42°C before the addition test during chewing gum chewing, and 34.26±0.42t after gum chewing. The systolic pressures were 116.7±8.8mmHg at rest, 118.3±7.9 mmHg after the addition test without chewing, 121.3±10.7 mmHg after Gummi chewing, and 118.2±9.6 mmHg after gum chewing. The diastolic pressures were 70.2±7.0 mmHg at rest, 71.4±7.5 mmHg after the addition test without chewing, 73.2±6.6 mmHg after Gummi chewing, and 72.3±7.5 mmHg after gum chewing. The pulse rates were 74.3±10.4/min at rest, 74.4 ± 10.4/min after the addition test without chewing, 74.3±10.6/min after Gummi chewing, and 76.2±12.4/min after gum chewing. The Sp0
2 was 96.0±1.1% at rest, 96.3±0.8% after the addition test without chewing, 96.1±0.6% after Gummi chewing, and 96.5±0.7% after gum chewing. There were no significant differences in the ECG, before and after gum chewing.
These results indicate that mental stress during light activities is decreased by chewing Gummi and chewing gum.
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