ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Aging
Sec. Healthy Longevity
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fragi.2025.1632997
Preliminary Research on the Effect of Sutra Chanting on Oral and Respiratory Function: A Comparison Between Expert Sutra Chanting Buddhist Priests and General Buddhist Priests in Japan
Provisionally accepted
Ayako Edahiro1
Chiaki Ura1
Yoshiko Motohashi1Ryosho Shoji2Reisai Kaneko3Yukan Ogawa4Akinori Takase4Kousho Nakano2
Tsuyoshi Okamura1*- 1Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
- 2Jodo Shu Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- 3Shingon Shu Buzan-ha, Chiba, Japan
- 4Taisho Daigaku, Toshima, Japan
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The health effects of sutra chanting were explored by comparing the oral and respiratory functions of Buddhist priests who are experts in sutra chanting with those of general Buddhist priests. In addition to basic characteristics, lifestyle variables, and general health status, participants underwent assessment of oral function and respiratory function by two certified dentists. Compared to general priests (n = 23), expert chanters (n = 49) were significantly higher in peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced vital capacity (FVC), and hyoid displacement (⊿HD). In the two multiple regression analyses which include PEF and FVC as the dependent variables, expert group demonstrated significantly better function. Considering its historical and cultural background, the idea of using sutra chanting has potential in a healthcare program for older people at risk of declining oral and respiratory functions needs further research.
Keywords: Oral function, respiratory function, hyoid excursion, sutra chant, Buddhism
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 17 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Edahiro, Ura, Motohashi, Shoji, Kaneko, Ogawa, Takase, Nakano and Okamura. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tsuyoshi Okamura, t.okamura.jp@gmail.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.