Positive effect of inaudible high-frequency components of sounds on glucose tolerance: a quasi-experimental crossover study

Although stress significantly impacts on various metabolic syndromes, including diabetes mellitus, most stress management techniques are based on psychological and subjective approaches. This study examined how the presence or absence of the inaudible high-frequency component (HFC) of sounds, which activates deep-brain structures, affects glucose tolerance in healthy participants using the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Sounds containing HFC suppressed the increase in glucose levels measured by incremental area under the curve in the OGTT compared with the otherwise same sounds without HFC. The suppression effect of HFC was more prominent in the older age group and the group with high HbA1c. This suggests that sounds with HFC are more effective in improving glucose tolerance in individuals at a higher risk of glucose intolerance.