Food Choices May Depend More On Blood Sugar Than Body Weight

Maybe you shouldn't ever perceive to your gut.

Researchers astatine nan Fralin Biomedical Research Institute astatine VTC precocious studied flavor-nutrient learning - really group travel to for illustration definite nutrient based connected really it makes them feel. Flavor-nutrient learning is 1 facet that influences eating habits and whitethorn effect assemblage weight.

"We person to study what we are going to eat, and 1 facet that's little good studied is post-ingestive signals - our gut talking to our brain, school america what to eat," said Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, who led nan research. She is simply a module personnel astatine nan institute and interim co-director of its Center for Health Behaviors Research. 

The team's findings, precocious published and slated for nan Nov. 1 rumor of Physiology & Behavior, propose that measures of glycemic power - specified as fasting glucose and HbA1C, which measures glucose levels complete clip - were much intimately linked to really overmuch participants' nutrient preferences changed during nan study.

That stood out, because while participants represented a wide scope of body-mass scale categories, none were diagnosed pinch glucosuria aliases prediabetes. 

We wanted to cognize whether nan gut-to-brain strategy for relaying accusation astir nutrient learning mightiness beryllium different for group who person obesity and for those pinch differences successful glycemic control. If it's different, we should beryllium utilizing different targeted strategies to thief them alteration their diet."

Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, Study Leader

What they did

Research successful animal models points to nan value of signals from nan gut to nan encephalon aft eating. "They're really necessary, beyond conscionable oral sensation signals, to guideline nutrient preference," said Mary Elizabeth Baugh, a investigation intelligence astatine the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and nan study's first author.

Scientists person based on that flavor-nutrient learning is difficult to show successful group because eating history and nutrient preferences alteration truthful widely, while testing conditions and fare successful animal studies tin beryllium strictly controlled.

To reside that challenge, 26 group from Southwest Virginia were introduced to 10 atypical flavors: acerola, bilberry, horchata, lulo, yuzu, papaya, chamomile, aloe vera, mamey, and maqui berry. 

"The champion believe is to return thing strange, because we want caller learning to happen," said DiFeliceantonio, who besides holds an assignment successful the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise successful Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Study participants were asked to complaint really acquainted nan flavors were and really overmuch they liked them. The investigation proceeded pinch 2 flavors that were little acquainted and little liked by individual participants. 

Flavored drinks were first experimentally matched for sweetness pinch sweetener and an artificial sweetener; one provided calories and nan different did not. Participants consumed nan drinks astatine location astatine specified times complete a play of weeks. Later, artificial sweeteners were utilized successful both, so calories during nan testing convention couldn't confound results.

As expected, some participants learned to for illustration nan spirit that had been paired pinch calories, moreover erstwhile nan sweetener was removed. "And that's because of post-ingestive mechanisms, not thing related to sweetness," Baugh said.

But nan findings weren't uniform.

The anticipation was that participants would for illustration nan spirit that had nutrients successful nan shape of calories, but those pinch fasting glucose and A1C astatine nan precocious extremity of normal were little apt to for illustration nan flavors that had been paired pinch nutrients. 

"One of nan astir absorbing findings was that measures of assemblage weight position - body-mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference - were not related to individual responses," Baugh said. "We request much data, but this points to perchance impaired learning based connected post-ingestive signals. With higher values of glycemic control, moreover wrong nan normal range, location could perchance beryllium immoderate disruption successful gut-brain signaling."

What comes next

This doesn't only impact group who meet nan criteria for overweight and obesity. "Even if you are a personification pinch a patient scope BMI and a patient scope A1C, fluctuations successful your humor glucose are still really influencing what you eat successful a measurement that you mightiness not beryllium alert of," DiFeliceantonio said.

Baugh notes that this was a mini study and much investigation is needed. She is recruiting participants with an moreover wider scope of glycemic power and different assemblage weights to amended pass nationalist health. 

"Ultimately, knowing nan mechanisms that power nutrient prime and eating behaviors tin beryllium really impactful successful processing different pharmacological aliases behavioral strategies for obesity curen - and moreover prevention," Baugh said.

The investigation was funded successful portion by nan National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and nan National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, some portion of nan National Institutes of Health.