To clarify the effect of olfactory stimulation by fresh rose flowers, which exude a strong fragrance, on heart rate variability.
Settings:
A chamber with an artificial climate maintained at 25°C with 50% relative humidity and 230 lux illumination at the Center for Environment, Health, and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Japan.
Participants:
Nineteen female university and graduate students (mean age, 21.6±1.5 years; age range, 19.0–26.0 years).
Interventions:
Fresh rose flowers as an olfactory stimulant, with air as a control.
Outcome measures:
Heart rate variability and subjective evaluations. The power levels of the high-frequency (HF) (0.15–0.40 Hz) and low-frequency (LF) (0.04–0.15 Hz) components of heart rate variability were calculated by the maximum-entropy method. The HF power was considered to reflect parasympathetic nervous activity. The LF/HF power ratio was determined to reflect the sympathetic nervous activity. A modified semantic differential method was used to perform subjective evaluations.
Results:
Fresh rose flowers induced (1) a significant increase in parasympathetic nervous activities and (2) an increase in “comfortable” and “natural” feelings.
Conclusion:
The findings indicated that olfactory stimulation by fresh rose flowers induced physiological and psychological relaxation.
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