Exploring the roles of food with different sensory attributes in stress relief: Insights from sweet and spicy foods

Abstract

High levels of stress often lead to craving for certain sensory experiences, with certain foods potentially influencing emotional and psychological changes that help alleviate negative emotions. This study aimed to investigate how consuming foods with specific sensory attributes affects laboratory-induced stress. A total of 175 participants were assigned to five groups, each consuming spicy chicken, sweet cake, green salad, water or no food (n = 35/group). Non-randomized assignment based on pre-surveyed preferences was used to minimize stress from consuming disliked flavors. During a stress condition induced by an adaptive arithmetic paced auditory serial addition test and a cold pressor test, participants consumed a provided sample. Perceived stress level, emotional responses, blood pressure, and heart rate were accessed at baseline, pre-and post-stress induction, post-sample intake, and post-recovery phase. Heart rate variability (HRV) was continuously measured throughout. The results indicated a significant association between the intake of spicy chicken and sweet cake and a reduction in perceived stress. The spicy chicken was associated with high-arousal positive emotions immediately after intake, while the sweet cake intake aligned more with low-arousal positive emotions. However, emotional arousal levels in both groups appeared to shift toward a mixed state during the recovery phase. Consuming spicy food was significantly associated with greater HRV compared to the other foods, suggesting a substantial increase in relaxation and calmness even after recovery. These findings provide scientific evidence that helps understand the craving for spicy and sweet foods during periods of stress.