Evaluation of Physiological Measurements During Consumption of Flavored Jelly Beverage

Demand is increasing for foods that are both palatable and beneficial for physical and mental health. This study investigates the influences of flavored jelly beverage consumption on emotional sensitivity by examining the heart rate variability (HRV) of 11 participants (six men and five women; age range: 20-50 years). To investigate the effects of different food quality factors, four samples were tested: a standard flavored jelly beverage, flavored jelly beverage without fruit juice and flavoring, flavored jelly beverage without the gelling agent, and water. The study compared the effects of flavor and gelling agents by analyzing HRV before, during, and after consuming the test samples. Analysis of variance of the HRV data indicated that the presence of gelling agents suppressed the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system during consumption, whereas flavoring enhanced the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system after consumption, suggesting different effects of the samples on autonomic nervous system functions during and after ingestion. Furthermore, when examining correlation with subjective mood assessment, strong associations were observed among several parameters. Notably, the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system was suppressed, and the arousal level was elevated during consumption, while the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and feeling of pleasure were enhanced after consumption. These correlations imply a potential causal relationship between the sensory properties of the jelly beverage and physiological responses.