Nutritional neuroscience
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Nutritional neuroscience · Jul 2012
Effects of chewing gum and time-on-task on alertness and attention.
Chewing gum has been shown to reliably increase subjective alertness whereas the effects on attention are more variable. It has been suggested that chewing gum only enhances attention when the person has been performing a task for some time. ⋯ The results confirm the robust effect of chewing gum on reported alertness and show that changes in the effects of chewing gum on attention require further investigation. Future research may also determine underlying mechanisms for an alerting effect.
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Nutritional neuroscience · Feb 2006
Glutamate concentration in whole saliva and taste responses to monosodium glutamate in humans.
It is universally accepted that saliva plays an important role in taste sensations. However, interactions between constituents of whole saliva and the five basic taste modalities are still poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate possible relationship between endogenous glutamate (Glu) levels in whole saliva and taste responses to a prototypic umami substance, monosodium glutamate (MSG; 0.03-10.0%). ⋯ The LG group rated the higher MSG concentrations (3.0-10.0%) as more unpleasant (P < 0.01). The difference remained significant after controlling for a between-group difference in age. The present results suggest that individual differences in salivary Glu levels may alter hedonic responses to suprathreshold MSG concentrations.
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Nutritional neuroscience · Apr 2002
Stress, breakfast cereal consumption and objective signs of upper respiratory tract illnesses.
Recent research has shown that both negative life events and breakfast cereal consumption are associated with the incidence and severity of subjective symptoms of upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTIs) Two studies were conducted to examine whether objective markers of illness were also associated with stress and breakfast cereal consumption. The results from the first study showed that regular breakfast cereal consumption was associated with lower sub-lingual temperatures in volunteers with URTIs. ⋯ These studies suggest that breakfast cereal consumption is associated with reduced illness severity and that this does not reflect stress levels. Further research is now required to determine whether such results are directly due to cereal consumption or reflect correlated attributes, such as other aspects of the diet.
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Nutritional neuroscience · Jan 2001
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialThe influence of soy-derived phosphatidylserine on cognition in age-associated memory impairment.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid widely sold as a nutritional supplement. PS has been claimed to enhance neuronal membrane function and hence cognitive function, especially in the elderly. We report the results of a clinical trial of soybean-derived PS (S-PS) in aging subjects with memory complaints. ⋯ No significant differences were found in any of the outcome variables between the treatment groups. There were also no significant interactions between treatment and 'severity of memory complaints'. In conclusion, a daily supplement of S-PS does not affect memory or other cognitive functions in older individuals with memory complaints.
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Nutritional neuroscience · Jan 2000
Stress, Breakfast Cereal Consumption and Susceptibility to Upper Respiratory Tract Illnesses.
Two diary studies were conducted to examine the effects of stress and consumption of breakfast on the incidence and severity of upper respiratory tract illnesses. Both studies showed that negative life events were associated with the occurrence of URTIs. ⋯ The effects of stress and breakfast consumption were found to be independent. Further research is now required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of breakfast cereal consumption on the occurrence of upper respiratory tract illnesses.