High masticatory ability attenuates psychosocial stress: A cross-sectional study.

Mastication interventions have previously been shown to alleviate acute stress. However, the relationship between masticatory performance and stress response among individuals remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between masticatory ability and stress response in young women by measuring the autonomic nerve function and salivary α-amylase activity during psychosocial stress.

The Relationship between Family Meals and Mental Health Problems in Japanese Elementary School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The relative burden of mental health problems in children is increasing worldwide. Family meals have attracted attention as an effective modifiable factor for preventing children's mental health problems. We examined the relationship between family meals and mental health problems in Japanese elementary schoolchildren.

Low energy intake and dietary quality are associated with low objective sleep quality in young Japanese women.

Literature reports suggest that subjective sleep quality is associated with nutrient intake in elderly people and workers. However, few studies have suggested an association between objective sleep quality and dietary intake in adolescents and young women. We hypothesized that objective sleep quality is associated with dietary intake in adolescents and young women.

Compared with the intake of commercial vegetable juice, the intake of fresh fruit and komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis) juice mixture reduces serum cholesterol in middle-aged men: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and, dietary fiber and contribute to the prevention and improvement of obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, inadequate intake of vegetable and fruit is a concern in Japan.We therefore produced a juice mixture of fresh fruit and komatsuna (Brassica rapa L.

Short-term intake of a Japanese-style healthy lunch menu contributes to prevention and/or improvement in metabolic syndrome among middle-aged men: a non-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is now widely appreciated as a cluster of metabolic abnormalities such as visceral obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. To date, incidence of metabolic syndrome is continuously increasing worldwide.In addition, low vegetable consumption has recently become a serious issue in Japan.

A case study on the association of variation of bitter-taste receptor gene TAS2R38 with the height, weight and energy intake in Japanese female college students.

One of the critical factors that determines individual differences in dietary behavior and nutritional status is the sensory-affecting quality of food, in particular its taste. Variation of one bitter taste receptor gene, TAS2R38, which is associated with the differential sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), has been demonstrated to affect the dietary intake pattern. A case study was performed to examine the association of the TAS2R38 genotypes/haplotypes with the body size (height, weight and BMI) and with the food and nutrient intake.