Comparative Study of the Effects of Drinks and a Capsule Containing Winter Savory (<i>Satureja montana</i> L.) Extract on Changes in Human Body Temperature

Abstract

We have reported that the ingestion of a drink including winter savory extract (WSE) has an effect on core body temperature (CBT) and body surface temperature (BST) in people who experience cold sensitivity. In this study, to elucidate how the swallowing process contributes to changes in CBT and BST, experiments comparing the effects of WSE-drink and WSE-capsule were performed. We showed that a small amount of WSE-capsule did not affect CBT and BST, but WSE-drink (containing an equal amount of active principles in the WSE-capsule) induced significant changes in peripheral BST without changes in CBT. Moreover, WSEdrink with a higher concentration but equal amount of active principles induced significant changes in both CBT and BST. These results suggest that neurostimulation in the swallowing process after drinking WSE might greatly contribute to heat production and heat transfer (which is caused by peripheral vasodilation) independently of each other.