Food composition for stress relief

Abstract

The present invention relates to: a substance which can relief an in vivo stress reaction in a human body or the like and can improve energy deficiency; and a stress relief method using the substance. The present invention provides a food composition for stress relief purposes which contains olive oil as an active ingredient. The present invention also provides: a food for stress relief purposes, which comprises the food composition for stress relief purposes; and a stress relief method comprising providing the food composition for stress relief purposes or the food for stress relief purposes. The food composition for stress relief purposes according to the present invention is highly useful because the food composition is safe and can be ingested easily.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food composition for stress relief, a food for stress relief, and a method for stress relief. [Background technology]

[0002] Stress refers to a biological response caused by external stimuli (Non-Patent Document 1). While a certain level of stress is said to be necessary for human growth, prolonged or excessive stress can have adverse effects on the body. Stress consists of three types of responses: physical, psychological, and behavioral, each of which can include insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, bulimia, and drug addiction (Non-Patent Document 2). In severe cases, stress can lead to life-threatening illnesses such as depression (Non-Patent Document 3). For this reason, stress is causing serious social problems. According to a 2018 survey on occupational safety and health conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, approximately 60% of all workers face work-related stress. It has also been reported that the main cause of stress is the "quality and quantity of work," such as long working hours. Harsh working conditions, such as long working hours, bring about many changes in lifestyle and behavior. In fact, many workers suffer from changes in their eating habits (Non-Patent Document 4). Poor nutrition can cause the body to lack energy, leading to symptoms such as weakness and lethargy. This has led to a growing demand for methods to alleviate stress and improve energy deficiencies.

[0003] The index used to evaluate stress varies depending on the stress response being focused on. For example, focusing on oxidative stress caused by excessive production of reactive oxygen species and an imbalance in the antioxidant defense mechanism, it has been reported that certain antioxidants are effective against such oxidative stress (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Furthermore, because chronic stress disrupts the balance of the autonomic nervous system, it has been reported that certain aroma compounds have an autonomic nervous system regulating effect, focusing on substances that promote parasympathetic nervous activity in the autonomic nervous system (Patent Document 3). However, it is difficult to predict that these substances will be effective when focusing on other stress responses.

Prior Technical Literature

Charter Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-2082 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-214556 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-163248

Non-licensed literature

[0005]

Non-patent document 1

Non-patent document 2

Non-patent document 3

Non-patent document 4

[0006] Under these circumstances, there is a need for a substance that can alleviate stress responses in living organisms, including humans, and further improve energy deficiency, as well as a method for alleviating stress using the substance. In particular, a substance that is safe and can be easily ingested would be highly useful. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have focused on fats and oils, particularly olive oil, from the two perspectives of alleviating stress in living organisms such as humans and improving energy deficiency. Fat and oil can provide the largest amount of energy among major nutrients, and can be safely and easily ingested. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are one of the indicators for evaluating stress, and their state can be confirmed by electrocardiogram measurement. For example, activation of the parasympathetic nervous system indicates stress relief. On the other hand, it is said that the state of the nervous system is influenced by circadian rhythms and deep breathing. Therefore, it is necessary to improve reliability by applying other evaluation methods. Therefore, in this invention, we focus on measuring brain function, including cerebral blood flow and electroencephalograms, as an evaluation method. This method is known to be able to evaluate stress in a similar way to electrocardiogram measurement (Non-Patent Document 5).

[0008] The present inventors have investigated the effects of stress on the stress response of living organisms by measuring brain function and electrocardiogram, and have found that olive oil has the effect of alleviating stress responses, leading to the present invention.

[0009] [1] A food composition for stress relief containing olive oil as an active ingredient. [2] The food composition according to [1], wherein the olive oil is an olive oil that has not been chemically treated. [3] The food composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the olive oil is extra virgin olive oil. [4] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the acidity of the olive oil is 0.8% or less. [5] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the olive oil has a fruity aroma and flavor. [6] A food for stress relief, comprising the food composition for stress relief described in any one of [1] to [5] above. [7] A method for relieving stress, comprising providing a food composition for stress relief described in any one of [1] to [5] above, or a food for stress relief described in [6] above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The stress-relieving food composition of the present invention or a stress-relieving food containing the same is safe because it contains olive oil as an active ingredient and can be easily ingested in daily life. According to the present invention, it is possible to alleviate the stress response of the living body in a simple manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an experimental flow of cerebral blood flow dynamics, electroencephalogram, and electrocardiogram measurements in an example. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows measurement points of cerebral blood flow in the frontal and occipital regions. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the international 10-20 system corresponding to FIG. 2. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 shows changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the forehead. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 shows changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the forehead. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a graph showing changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the occipital region. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a graph showing changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the occipital region. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the results of electroencephalogram analysis. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing the results of electrocardiographic analysis. [Figure 8] 10 is a graph showing the results of a mood profile analysis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The stress-relieving food composition, stress-relieving food, and stress-relieving method according to the present invention will be described below.

[0013] 1. Food composition for stress relief The stress-relieving food composition of the present invention has the effect of alleviating the stress response of the living body and is characterized by containing olive oil as an active ingredient. The "stress response of the living body" referred to here refers to physical disorders caused by mental stress in the living body, and refers to a stress response detected by measuring biological signals consisting of cerebral blood flow dynamics, electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms, or a combination of these.

[0014] The olive oil used in the present invention may be derived from olive fruit, and there are no particular limitations on the variety, growing region, or harvest time of the olives used as raw materials. Examples of olive varieties include Picual, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca, Manzanilla, Arbequina, Picudo, Coratina, Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, Nocellara, Koroneiki, Kalamata, Chetoui, Chemlali, Ayvalik, Memecik, Gemlik, Picholine, Marocaine, Zaity, Mission, Nevadillo Blanco, and Lucca. The olive fruit may include the entire peel, pulp, and seeds, or the peel and seeds may be removed.

[0015] The olive oil used in the present invention may be crude oil (i.e., unrefined olive oil) separated from olive fruits by methods such as pressing or centrifugation, or it may be refined olive oil obtained by subjecting the obtained crude oil to one or more chemical treatments selected from degumming, deacidification, bleaching, and deodorization.

[0016] Here, the degumming process is a process that includes a step of hydrating and removing gums, the main component of which is phospholipids contained in the oil. The deacidification treatment is a treatment that includes a step of removing free fatty acids contained in oil as soap components by treating with alkaline water or the like. The decolorization treatment includes a step of removing pigments contained in oil by adsorbing them onto activated clay or the like. The deodorizing treatment is a treatment that includes a step of removing odorous components contained in the oil by steam distillation under reduced pressure or the like. By subjecting crude oil to these chemical treatments, the aroma, flavor, and color of the olive fruit, which is the raw material, can be removed, meeting the demand when such properties inherent in the raw material are not desired.

[0017] Of these, the olive oil used in the present invention may be either unrefined olive oil or refined olive oil, but olive oil that has not been chemically treated is preferred, as it does not remove the natural components contained in the olive fruit and has a good aroma and flavor, and unrefined olive oil is particularly preferred.

[0018] Unrefined olive oil is available on the market as extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, ordinary virgin olive oil, etc. These commercially available products may be used in the present invention. Among these, one or more selected from extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil are preferred, with extra virgin olive oil being particularly preferred. Olive oil is classified into extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and ordinary virgin olive oil based on the criteria of physicochemical analysis and sensory evaluation. The standards of olive oil can be found in the International Olive Council.

[0019] The acidity of the olive oil used in the present invention is preferably 3.3% or less, more preferably 2.0% or less, even more preferably 1.0% or less, and particularly preferably 0.8% or less. The acidity refers to the mass percentage (%) of the amount of free fatty acids contained in 100 g of olive oil converted into the amount of oleic acid according to the standards of the International Olive Council (IOC).

[0020] The fatty acid composition of the olive oil used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and the natural fatty acid composition obtained from olive fruits may be used as is, or specific fatty acids may be added or removed as desired. The fatty acids contained in the olive oil used in the present invention include saturated fatty acids such as stearic acid and palmitic acid; and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and α-linolenic acid.

[0021] Unrefined olive oil has a unique aroma and flavor depending on the olive variety, growing region, and harvest time. The aroma and flavor of olive oil are evaluated by sensory evaluation based on the intensity of favorable characteristics such as fruitiness, bitterness, and spiciness, and the presence and intensity of negative characteristics such as rancidity, anaerobic fermentation, and sludge sediment. The aroma and flavor of the olive oil used in the present invention are not particularly limited, but olive oils without negative characteristics and having a fruity aroma and flavor are particularly preferred.

[0022] In the stress-relieving food composition of the present invention, the olive oil content is preferably 10 to 100 mass% based on the total amount of the composition, more preferably 30 to 100 mass%, even more preferably 50 to 100 mass%, and particularly preferably 70 to 100 mass%.

[0023] The stress-relieving food composition of the present invention may optionally contain other ingredients in addition to olive oil, such as edible oils and fats other than olive oil, or ingredients derived from other plants, vitamins, polyphenols, terpenes, carotenoids, ubiquinone, γ-aminobutyric acid, theanine, and aroma components.

[0024] Edible oils and fats other than olive oil that can be used in the present invention are not particularly limited and include, for example, vegetable oils and fats such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, sal fat, cocoa butter, shea oil, rice oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, linseed oil, and peanut oil; animal oils and fats such as beef tallow, lard, chicken fat, milk fat, and fish oil; and synthetic oils and fats such as medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides. Processed oils and fats such as fractionated oils, interesterified oils, and hydrogenated oils and fats can also be used. While one or more of these oils and fats can be selected and used as the edible oil, one or more selected from rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, palm olein, beef tallow, and lard are preferred, with rapeseed oil being particularly preferred. The edible oil and fat is preferably refined using a conventional process.

[0025] As mentioned above, the stress-relieving food composition of the present invention may optionally contain other ingredients in addition to olive oil. In the stress-relieving food composition of the present invention, the content of saturated fatty acids is preferably 6.4 to 83.5 mass% based on the total mass of the composition, more preferably 6.8 to 67.8 mass%, even more preferably 7.2 to 52.2 mass%, particularly preferably 7.6 to 36.5 mass%, and especially preferably 8.0 to 25.6 mass%. In particular, the content of palmitic acid is preferably 0.0 to 39.8 mass% based on the total amount of the composition, more preferably 1.9 to 33.1 mass%, even more preferably 3.8 to 26.5 mass%, particularly preferably 5.7 to 23.3 mass%, and especially preferably 7.5 to 20.0 mass%. The content of stearic acid is preferably 0.0 to 37.2 mass%, more preferably 0.1 to 29.7 mass%, even more preferably 0.2 to 22.1 mass%, particularly preferably 0.3 to 14.5 mass%, and especially preferably 0.5 to 5.0 mass%, based on the total amount of the composition. Furthermore, the content of the unsaturated fatty acid is preferably 15.0 to 93.6 mass% based on the total amount of the composition, more preferably 30.7 to 93.2 mass%, even more preferably 46.5 to 92.8 mass%, particularly preferably 52.2 to 92.4%, and especially preferably 57.8 to 92.0 mass%. In particular, the content of oleic acid is preferably 13.6 to 83.9 mass%, more preferably 27.0 to 83.7 mass%, even more preferably 40.4 to 83.5 mass%, particularly preferably 53.7 to 83.3 mass%, and especially preferably 55.0 to 83.0 mass%, based on the total amount of the composition. The content of linoleic acid is preferably 1.3 to 49.3 mass%, more preferably 1.6 to 40.8 mass%, even more preferably 1.9 to 32.3 mass%, particularly preferably 2.2 to 23.8 mass%, and especially preferably 2.5 to 21.0 mass%, based on the total amount of the composition. The content of α-linolenic acid is preferably 0.0 to 54.6 mass%, more preferably 0.0 to 42.5 mass%, even more preferably 0.0 to 30.5 mass%, particularly preferably 0.0 to 18.5 mass%, and especially preferably 0.0 to 1.0 mass%, based on the total amount of the composition. In addition, when a numerical range is shown in this specification, a numerical range obtained by appropriately combining the upper and lower limit values ​​of the numerical range is also described as a preferable range.

[0026] The stress-relieving food composition of the present invention contains natural olive oil as an active ingredient and can be safely ingested, so there are no particular limitations on the subjects to which it can be applied. For example, it can be applied to living organisms, particularly animals including humans, and there are no particular limitations on the age of the subjects. For example, it can be applied to infants, children, and women during pregnancy, perinatal, and lactation periods, as well as before and after menstruation.

[0027] 2. Stress-relieving foods The stress-relieving food according to the present invention is a food containing the stress-relieving food composition.

[0028] The stress-relieving food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains the stress-relieving food composition, and may be a food made from the stress-relieving food composition, a food obtained by adding or blending the stress-relieving food composition to an existing food or its ingredients, or a food obtained by cooking an existing food with the stress-relieving food composition.

[0029] Examples of foods made from a food composition for stress relief include cooking oils, nutritional drinks, etc. Examples of cooking oils include oils used for deep-frying, stir-frying, grilling, salads, marinating, and flavoring.

[0030] Examples of foods in which the stress-relieving food composition has been added to or blended into existing foods or their ingredients include condiments such as margarine, shortening, spreads, mayonnaise, dressings, and sauces; retort foods such as curry, stew, pasta sauce, and soup; bakery mixes; confectioneries such as desserts, ice cream, cakes, cookies, and snacks; baked goods such as bread and Danish pastries; processed meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, and hamburger steak; pizza, pasta, and noodles; frozen foods; chilled foods; supplements; health foods; and nutritional drinks.

[0031] Examples of foods prepared by cooking existing foods with a stress-relieving food composition include tempura, fried chicken, French fries, croquettes, minced meat cutlets, pork cutlets, fried fish, squid rings, onion rings, gratin, fried rice, pilaf, gyoza, okonomiyaki, chijimi, pancakes, and donuts.

[0032] In the stress-relieving food of the present invention, the content of the stress-relieving food composition may be adjusted appropriately depending on the intended use.

[0033] The stress-relieving food of the present invention comprises a stress-relieving food composition containing natural olive oil as an active ingredient, and can be taken in a safe and easy manner, making it suitable for relieving stress and improving energy deficiency in busy modern people. The stress-relieving food of the present invention is useful in that it can be easily incorporated into the diet and taken easily, for example, by spreading it on bread or adding it to salads.

[0034] 3. Stress relief methods The method for relieving stress of the present invention comprises providing the food composition or food for stress relief. As described above, the stress-relieving food composition or stress-relieving food of the present invention has the effect of alleviating the stress response of the living body. Furthermore, it can alleviate the stress response and at the same time improve energy deficiency. The active ingredient of the stress-relieving food composition or stress-relieving food of the present invention is natural olive oil, which can be easily and safely ingested, making it useful in that it allows stress to be alleviated in a simple manner when needed. The stress-relieving method of the present invention includes providing the stress-relieving food composition or stress-relieving food of the present invention at stores or eating and drinking establishments such as convenience stores, fast food outlets, restaurants, etc. It is useful in that it can be easily used when a living body experiences a stress response or for the purpose of preventing such a condition. The stress relief method of the present invention can be applied to any living organism, particularly animals including humans, without any particular age restrictions. For example, the method can be applied to infants, children, and women during pregnancy, perinatal, and lactation periods, as well as before and after menstruation. In the stress-relieving method of the present invention, the daily intake of the stress-relieving food composition or the stress-relieving food composition contained in the stress-relieving food is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined depending on age, gender, physical condition, etc. Because excessive lipid intake can cause obesity, an appropriate amount is preferable. The recommended daily intake of the stress-relieving food composition is preferably within 30% of the daily energy intake. For example, for individuals aged 15 years or older, the recommended daily intake is generally in the range of approximately 0.1 g to 150 g / day, preferably approximately 0.1 g to 140 g / day, more preferably approximately 0.1 g to 125 g / day, and particularly preferably approximately 0.1 g to 105 g / day. [Example]

[0035] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0036] The following experiment was conducted to measure biological signals under stressful conditions with and without olive oil intake, and to evaluate the effect of olive oil on stress responses.

[0037] 1) Experimental conditions Under the experimental conditions shown in Table 1, the subjects' cerebral blood flow dynamics, EEG, and ECG were measured during the typing task. The experimental flow for measuring cerebral blood flow dynamics, EEG, and ECG is shown in Figure 1. All subjects were confirmed to be healthy. [Table 1]

[0038] The conditions for measuring the intake are shown in Table 2. Baguettes were used for all bread. In conditions 2, 3, and 4, 15 g of each olive oil (oil A, B, and C) was spread on the bread. [Table 2]

[0039] 2) Olive oil The three olive oils used in the experiment (Oil A, B, and C) were evaluated according to the sensory evaluation method established by the International Olive Council (IOC) (COI / T.20 / Doc. No. 15 / Rev. 10 2018). The results are shown in Table 3-1. The values ​​in Table 3-1 represent the median values ​​of the evaluation results. The aroma and flavor characteristics of each oil are shown in Table 3-2. [Table 3-1] [Table 3-2]

[0040] Table 4 shows the fatty acid composition of each oil, measured based on the standard method (2.4.2) established by the Japan Oil Chemists Society (JOCS). [Table 4]

[0041] Table 5 also shows the acidity (%) of each oil, measured based on the test method established by the International Olive Council (IOC) (COI-T.20-Doc.-No-34-Rev.-1-2017). [Table 5]

[0042] [Example 1] Cerebral blood flow dynamics analysis (1) Method First, a probe for measuring cerebral blood flow was attached to the subject. Cerebral blood flow dynamics were measured using a FOIRE-3000 (Shimadzu Corporation). This device is commonly referred to as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Data were recorded at a sampling frequency of 7.7 Hz on channels 1–22 (frontal) and 23–44 (occipital). (Maoka, E., Suguru, K., & Yasue, M., Visualization of Happiness Elicited Taking a Food Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy. 2016 8th International Conference on Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (ICITEE). 1–4. doi: 10.1109 / ICITEED.2016.7863291) Figure 2 shows the measurement points for cerebral blood flow in the frontal and occipital regions. In Figure 2, the light emitter and photodetector are marked with black and gray circles, respectively, and the measurement points are indicated by numbers. In the frontal region, channels 15 and 17 were set to Fp2 and Fp1 according to the International 10-20 system to ensure minimal variability between subject positions (Yasue, M. (2016). EEG Signal Processing for Real Applivations. Journal of Signal Processing. 20, 1-7. doi: 10.2299 / jsp.20.1). Similarly, in the occipital region, channels 37 and 39 were set to O1 and O2 (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows the International 10-20 system corresponding to Figure 2. After attaching the probe, cerebral blood flow was measured during a 10-minute typing task. The task served to inflict stress on the subjects. All typing text was taken from Nature (Nature articles were randomly selected as typing text). Furthermore, unfamiliar situations were created by presenting different sentences for each measurement. C-Type typing software was used. In conditions 2, 3, and 4 (with olive oil intake), subjects ingested 15g of olive oil with bread after the first measurement. In condition 1 (without olive oil intake), subjects ingested only bread to eliminate the effect of bread. The intake was scheduled to end within 10 minutes of the first measurement. After ingestion, cerebral blood flow was measured again for 10 minutes. Similar measurements were also performed 1 and 2 hours after oral ingestion, due to the time required for digestion, absorption, and metabolism.

[0043] (2) Analysis To evaluate the effects of olive oil on stress responses, data obtained by measuring cerebral blood flow were analyzed. Three types of density data can be obtained from cerebral blood flow measurements: oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin. Total hemoglobin is the sum of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. In this experiment, the oxyhemoglobin data were selected for analysis because the changes in oxyhemoglobin were most significant. First, a low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 1 Hz was applied to remove noise. The data contained functional components based on brain function and systemic components based on changing posture. Therefore, functional components were extracted using a separation method into functional and systemic components developed in Japan by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (Toru, Y., Shinji, U., Keiji, M., Separation of fNIRS Signals into Functional and Systemic Components Based on Differences in Hemodynamic Modalities. PLOS ONE. 7, 1-16. doi:10.1371 / jou-rnal.pone.0050271 (2012)). The principle of this method is as follows. The oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin data are shown in Equation 1:

number

number

[0044] The following relationship is derived from equations (1) and (2):

number

number

[0045] (3) Results The change in oxyhemoglobin in the forehead and occipital regions was calculated for each condition. Figures 4A and 4B show the change in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the forehead. Figures 5A and 5B show the change in oxyhemoglobin concentration in the occipital region. An increase in oxyhemoglobin is indicated by a change to light gray, and a decrease in oxyhemoglobin is indicated by a change to dark gray. Comparing the changes in frontal oxyhemoglobin obtained under the four conditions, condition 1 (no oil intake) tended to increase oxyhemoglobin one hour after bread intake, while conditions 2, 3, and 4 (olive oil intake) tended to decrease oxyhemoglobin one hour after intake. Comparing the occipital oxyhemoglobin changes obtained in the four conditions, condition 1 (without olive oil intake) tended to slightly increase 1 hour after bread intake. The occipital oxyhemoglobin changes were less pronounced than those in the frontal area, but conditions 2, 3, and 4 (with olive oil intake) tended to decrease oxyhemoglobin 1 hour after intake. These results suggest that consuming olive oil can lead to a state in which people are less susceptible to stress. A significant decrease in oxyhemoglobin was observed in the frontal region compared to the occipital region. Previous research has already reported a correlation between stress and prefrontal brain activity (Richard, Davidson., & William, Irwin., The Functional Neuroanatomy of Emotion and Affective Style. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 3, 11-21. doi:10.10-16 / S1364-6613(98)01265-0 (1999)). This explains why the change in oxyhemoglobin in the occipital region was small, since the correlation between stress and occipital brain activity has not yet been clarified. Furthermore, it was confirmed that oxyhemoglobin changes over time after ingestion of olive oil. Because it is known that the digestion and absorption of fats and oils takes time, it is thought that the changes in oxyhemoglobin are influenced by the time required for digestion and absorption.

[0046] [Example 2] Electroencephalogram analysis (1) Method EEG data were measured using a mobile electroencephalograph (MindWave Mobile 2, manufactured by Neurosky Co., Ltd.). The measurement electrodes were placed on the frontal region (Fp1, see Table 1). Measurements were taken for 10 minutes at a sampling frequency of 512 Hz.

[0047] (2) Analysis The EEG data for one minute immediately before the end of measurement was extracted and used for analysis. When extracting the EEG data, a band-pass filter with a passband of 1 to 30 Hz was applied to remove noise. To take individual differences into account, the power spectrum from 1 to 30 Hz was normalized to 1. The preprocessed EEG data was analyzed by fast Fourier transform using a Hamming window (1 second), power spectrum calculation, and frequency analysis. The sum of the alpha band (8-13 Hz) was calculated as a stress evaluation index.

[0048] (3) Results The results obtained under the four conditions are shown in Figure 6. A small sum in the alpha band indicates a stress response, while a large sum in the alpha band indicates a suppressed stress response. As shown in Figure 6, under condition 1 (no olive oil intake), a tendency for the sum of the alpha band of the power spectrum to decrease was observed two hours after intake. On the other hand, under conditions 2, 3, and 4 (olive oil intake), a tendency for the sum of the alpha band of the power spectrum to increase two hours after intake was observed. From these results, it can be interpreted that ingesting olive oil produces a state in which stress is less likely to be felt. These results are consistent with the results of the cerebral blood flow dynamics analysis in Example 1.

[0049] [Example 3] Electrocardiogram analysis (1) Method Electrocardiogram data was measured using a wearable heart rate sensor (myBeat WHS-2, manufactured by Care Dynamics, Inc.). Measurement electrodes were placed on the chest (see Table 1). Measurements were taken for 10 minutes at a sampling frequency of 40 Hz.

[0050] (2) Analysis The electrocardiogram data for one minute immediately before the end of measurement was extracted and used for analysis. When extracting the electrocardiogram data, a band-pass filter with a passband of 5 to 15 Hz was applied to remove noise. The minimum peak interval was set to 0.5 seconds to detect the local maximum value (R wave). The calculated heart rate interval (RR interval: RRI) was resampled at a sampling frequency of 4 Hz to convert it into a time function. The calculated RRI was subjected to frequency analysis to calculate the power spectrum. The coefficients were calculated using the Yule-Walker method (Stoica, P. and Moses, R.: Spectral Analysis of Signals, Prentice Hall, United States (2005)). The order was determined using the Akaike Information Criterion (Akaike, H., "Information theory and an extension of the maximum likelihood principle", Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Information Theory, Petrov, BN, and Caski, F. (eds.), Akadimiai Kiado, Budapest: 267-281 (1973)). As a stress assessment index, the ratio of the integral values ​​(LH / HF) was calculated by focusing on the two regions of the power spectrum: LF (low frequency, 0.05-0.15 Hz) and HF (high frequency, 0.15-0.40 Hz). To take into account individual differences, the ratio of the integral values ​​before intake (LH / HF) was normalized to 1.

[0051] (3) Results The results obtained under the four conditions are shown in Figure 7. A high LH / HF ratio indicates a stress response, while a low LH / HF ratio indicates a suppressed stress response. As shown in Figure 7, under condition 1 (no olive oil intake), an increase in LF / HF was observed two hours after intake. On the other hand, under conditions 2, 3, and 4 (olive oil intake), a decrease in LF / HF was observed two hours after intake. These results suggest that olive oil intake leads to a state in which stress is less likely to be felt. These results are consistent with the results of the cerebral blood flow dynamics analysis in Example 1 and the results of the electroencephalogram analysis in Example 2.

[0052] [Example 4] Mood profile analysis (1) Method The same subjects as those in the experiments of Examples 1 to 3 were administered the Profile of Mood State (POMS), and the total scores for the following six scales were calculated for each scale. Tension-Dejection Depression-Dejection Anger-Hostility Vigor Fatigue Confusion

[0053] (2) Analysis The total scores of each scale were converted into T scores using the Mood Profile Conversion Table. The vitality score was subtracted from the total score of the five scales excluding vitality.The difference was then calculated by subtracting the pre-experiment score from the post-experiment score to calculate the index of negative mood states (TMD).

[0054] (3) Results The results obtained under the four conditions are shown in Figure 8. It can be evaluated that a large TMD results in a large stress, and a small TMD results in a small stress. As shown in Figure 8, conditions 2, 3, and 4 (with olive oil intake) showed a tendency for TMD scores to decrease (a tendency for negative mood to improve) compared to condition 1 (without olive oil intake). These results are consistent with the results of the cerebral blood flow dynamics analysis in Example 1, the results of the electroencephalogram analysis in Example 2, and the results of the electrocardiogram analysis in Example 3.

[0055] These results indicate that olive oil intake alleviates stress responses.

Claims

1. A food composition for stress relief containing olive oil as an active ingredient, wherein the olive oil has a fruity aroma and flavor and an acidity of 0.26% or less.

2. 2. The food composition of claim 1, wherein the olive oil is an olive oil that has not been chemically treated.

3. 3. The food composition according to claim 1, wherein the olive oil is extra virgin olive oil.

4. A stress-relieving food comprising the stress-relieving food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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