For smokers seeking to quit the habit, scientists propose an unconventional remedy…gargling with lemonade.
It was discovered that the interaction between sugar (glucose) on the tongue enhances both attention and energy levels while improving self-control.
This may assist smokers in resisting cigarettes, at least temporarily. A research team from the University of Georgia conducted experiments on 51 students to examine whether a glucose mouth rinse could elevate attention and energy.
The initial task, which drains self-control, involved carefully crossing out the letter E from a page in a statistics textbook.
The subsequent task was the Stroop test, where participants were required to identify colors corresponding to various words displayed on a screen, which spelled out names of different colors.
The aim of the Stroop task is to suppress the instinct to read the words and instead focus on the colors.
Half of the participants rinsed their mouths with lemonade sweetened with sugar during the Stroop test, while the other half used Splenda-sweetened lemonade.
Findings indicated that those who used the sugar rinse responded significantly faster to the colors rather than the words.
Professor Leonard Martin from the University of Georgia remarked, ‘Researchers used to believe that consuming glucose was necessary to boost energy and self-control.’
‘However, following this trial, it appears that glucose activates the simple carbohydrate sensors on the tongue.’
‘This activation, in turn, stimulates the motivational centers of the brain, where our self-related objectives are represented. These signals prompt your body to focus its attention.’
Participants completed the Stroop test in approximately three to five minutes, demonstrating a measure of self-control. However, a glucose mouthwash might not suffice to address major self-control challenges such as dieting or quitting smoking.
Professor Martin noted: ‘The research does not yet clarify the long-term effects of swishing glucose on self-control.’
‘Thus, while gargling lemonade may not provide a complete solution for quitting smoking, it certainly may offer assistance in the short term.’
Together with co-author Matthew Sanders, a doctoral candidate, Professor Martin believes that motivation derives from self-values or emotional investment.
He explained: ‘It’s about self-investment. It doesn’t merely increase your energy; it also heightens your personal commitment to what you’re undertaking.’
‘Engaging with what matters to you makes those self-related objectives prominent.’
‘The glucose appears adept at helping you suppress automatic reactions, like reading the words in the Stroop task, and instead, encourages a more challenging task, such as stating the color of the printed word.’
‘It can amplify emotional investment and self-relevant objectives.’
The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, indicates that previous research into self-control has revealed a decline in performance during the second task as energy levels drop.
‘Earlier studies indicate that performing the first task demands so much energy that there may not be enough left for the second task,’ Martin explained.
‘Our findings suggest that when individuals engage in self-control, they may overlook significant aspects of their goals and feelings.’
‘For example, if you must remain late at work but genuinely wish to return home, you will have to suppress your desire to do so. This can help you stay late, but it might cause you to lose touch with your personal wants and emotions in subsequent tasks.’
‘Gargling glucose can redirect you back to those goals and feelings, which may subsequently enhance your performance on the second task.’
‘In summary, we propose that self-control diminishes because individuals intentionally divert it, rather than due to a lack of energy. People can consciously deactivate it.’
by Susan Floyd
