Antinociceptive Effects of Palatable Sweet Ingesta on Human Responsivity to Pressure Pain

Abstract

Mercer, M. E. and M. D. Holder. Antinociceptive effects of palatable sweet ingesta on human responsivity to pressure pain. Physiol Behav 61(2) 311–318, 1997.—Palatable sweet ingestion produces a morphine-like analgesia in both rats and human infants (2–5). To determine whether palatable sweet ingesta induces antinociception in human adults, 60 university students (30 men, 30 women) were exposed to a pressure algometer both before and after consuming either a sweet soft drink, filtered tap water, or nothing (Experiment 1). Pain responsivity was assessed with four pain measures: threshold, tolerance, and visual analogue scale (VAS) ratings of intensity and unpleasantness. Results showed that women who consumed either soft drink or water reported increased pain tolerance and VAS ratings at posttreatment compared with those receiving nothing. However, differences between groups were not found for men. Moreover, compared to men, women reported lower pain thresholds and tolerances and rated the pain as more intense. In Experiment 2, 40 women consumed either nothing or foods that they rated previously as palatable (chocolate-chip cookies), unpalatable (black olives), or neutral (rice cakes). Women who consumed the palatable sweet food showed increased pain tolerance compared with those receiving the unpalatable food, the neutral food, or nothing. These data constitute the first demonstration that “palatability-induced antinociception” (PIA) can occur in human adults.