We hear it everywhere — from doctors, family members, and the media: reduce stress! Mounting evidence shows how chronic stress takes a toll on both physical and mental health. But before we can tackle it, we need to measure it and that’s easier said than done.
A new innovation from researchers at Tufts University might change that. Their experimental study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces displays a special dental floss that detects cortisol levels in saliva, potentially making stress tracking as routine as your morning hygiene ritual.
“We didn’t want measurement to create an additional source of stress, so we thought, can we make a sensing device that becomes part of your day-to-day routine? Cortisol is a stress marker found in saliva, so flossing seemed like a natural fit to take a daily sample,” said Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering, in a news release.
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