A recent functional magnetic resonance imaging study revealed that gum chewing during exposure to a loud noise inhibits the propagation of stress-related information in the brain. In humans, gum chewing is reported to relieve stress and improve task performance. Animals provided the opportunity to chew or bite wooden sticks during immobilization or restraint stress exhibit decreases in stress-induced plasma corticosterone levels and attenuated HPA axis and autonomic nervous system responses to stress, which helps to prevent the stress-induced formation of gastric ulcers, deficits in spatial learning ability, and bone loss. In humans, nail-biting, teeth-clenching, and biting on objects are considered outlets for emotional tension or stress. When exposed to an inescapable stressor, animals assume coping behaviors, such as chewing, that attenuate some elements of the stress response. Ĭhewing is also an effective stress-coping behavior. Thus, chewing appears to have an important role in maintaining some aspects of cognitive function. In animals, impairing mastication by removing teeth results in impaired spatial learning due to morphologic changes in the hippocampus.
Chewing ability is frequently impaired in the elderly, and many older adults develop dental problems as a result of tooth loss, which compromises general health status and is an epidemiologic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In particular, masticatory ability influences nutritional status, overall health, and activities of daily living, especially in the elderly population. Ĭhewing, swallowing, and speaking are important oral functions related to physical, mental, and social health. Stress activates the neuroendocrine system via the autonomic system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which leads to the release of corticosteroids and hormones. Stress-related diseases are prevalent worldwide. Chronic stress negatively affects physical and mental health, ultimately leading to disease. Stress is a physiologic and psychologic response to environmental changes and noxious stimuli. Here, we discuss the neuronal mechanisms that underline the interactions between masticatory function and stress-coping behaviors in animals and humans. In humans, some studies demonstrate that chewing gum during exposure to stress decreases plasma and salivary cortisol levels and reduces mental stress, although other studies report no such effect. In rodents, chewing or biting on wooden sticks during exposure to various stressors reduces stress-induced gastric ulcer formation and attenuates spatial cognitive dysfunction, anxiety-like behavior, and bone loss. Further, chewing reduces stress-induced changes in central nervous system morphology, especially in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Mastication under stressful conditions attenuates stress-induced increases in plasma corticosterone and catecholamines, as well as the expression of stress-related substances, such as neurotrophic factors and nitric oxide. Mastication (chewing) is an effective behavior for coping with stress, likely due to the alterations chewing causes in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system. Stress-related disease has become a global health problem. Exposure to chronic stress induces various physical and mental effects that may ultimately lead to disease.
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