Effect of Snack Eating on Sensitive Salivary Stress Markers Cortisol and Chromogranin A

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To investigate the effect of snack eating on salivary cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA). Methods: From 1400 to 1800, starting two hours after consumption of a midday meal, saliva samples were collected every 30 minutes from 15 healthy males, 7 of whom (snack group) ate a snack immediately after the sampling at 1500. Salivary cortisol and CgA levels were determined by ELISA. Samples were controlled according to salivary flow rates. Results: For the snack group, after snack consumption, salivary cortisol increased to exceed significance (p<0.05) at 1530 and rose even higher at 1600. In the control group, there was no such change. There was no significant change in salivary CgA in either the snack group or the control groups during the sampling period. Conclusions: These findings suggest that no food should be consumed for at least 90 mins before saliva sampling for cortisol determination and that salivary CgA is probably not affected by snack eating.