Protein status elicits compensatory changes in food intake and food preferences123

Background: Protein is an indispensable component within the human diet. It is unclear, however, whether behavioral strategies exist to avoid shortages

Moderate alcohol consumption stimulates food intake and food reward of savoury foods

The aim of this study was to investigate whether food reward plays a role in the stimulating effect of moderate alcohol consumption on subsequent food intake. In addition, we explored the role of oral and gut sensory pathways in alcohol's effect on food reward by modified sham feeding (MSF) or consumption of a preload after alcohol intake.In a single-blind crossover design, 24 healthy men were randomly assigned to either consumption of vodka/orange juice (20 g alcohol) or orange juice only, followed by consumption of cake, MSF of cake or no cake. Food reward was evaluated by actual food intake measured by an ad libitum lunch 45 min after alcohol ingestion and by behavioural indices of wanting and liking of four food categories (high fat, low fat, sweet and savoury).Moderate alcohol consumption increased food intake during the ad libitum lunch by 11% (+338 kJ, P = 0.004). Alcohol specifically increased intake (+127 kJ, P </p

Supersize my brain: A cross-sectional voxel-based morphometry study on the association between self-reported dietary restraint and regional grey matter volumes

Restrained eaters do not eat less than their unrestrained counterparts. Proposed underlying mechanisms are that restrained eaters are more reward sensitive and that they have worse inhibitory control. Although fMRI studies assessed these mechanisms, it is unknown how brain anatomy relates to dietary restraint. Voxel-based morphometry was performed on anatomical scans from 155 normal-weight females to investigate how regional grey matter volume correlates with restraint. A positive correlation was found in several areas, including the parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, striatum and the amygdala (bilaterally, p < 0.05, corrected). A negative correlation was found in several areas, including the inferior frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, middle cingulate cortex and precentral gyrus (p < 0.05, corrected). That higher restraint relates to higher grey matter volume in reward-related areas and lower grey matter volume in regions involved in inhibition, provides a neuroanatomical underpinning of theories relating restraint to increased reward sensitivity and reduced inhibitory capacity

Effect of replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners in beverages on the reward value after repeated exposure.

BACKGROUND: The reward value of food is partly dependent on learned associations. It is not yet known whether replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners in food is affecting long-term acceptance. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of replacing sugar with non-caloric sweeteners in a nutrient-empty drink (soft drink) versus nutrient-rich drink (yoghurt drink) on reward value after repeated exposure. DESIGN: We used a randomized crossover design whereby forty subjects (15 men, 25 women) with a mean ± SD age of 21 ± 2 y and BMI of 21.5 ± 1.7 kg/m(2) consumed a fixed portion of a non-caloric sweetened (NS) and sugar sweetened (SS) versions of either a soft drink or a yoghurt drink (counterbalanced) for breakfast which were distinguishable by means of colored labels. Each version of a drink was offered 10 times in semi-random order. Before and after conditioning the reward value of the drinks was assessed using behavioral tasks on wanting, liking, and expected satiety. In a subgroup (n=18) fMRI was performed to assess brain reward responses to the drinks. RESULTS: Outcomes of both the behavioral tasks and fMRI showed that conditioning did not affect the reward value of the NS and SS versions of the drinks significantly. Overall, subjects preferred the yoghurt drinks to the soft drinks and the ss drinks to the NS drinks. In addition, they expected the yoghurt drinks to be more satiating, they reduced hunger more, and delayed the first eating episode more. Conditioning did not influence these effects. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that repeated consumption of a non-caloric sweetened beverage, instead of a sugar sweetened version, appears not to result in changes in the reward value. It cannot be ruled out that learned associations between sensory attributes and food satiating capacity which developed preceding the conditioning period, during lifetime, affected the reward value of the drinks

Satiety scores in the conditioning period (A) The average delta scores of the hunger ratings in the conditioning period (hunger rating after consumption minus hunger rating before consumption) for the NS (◻) and SS (◼) soft drinks and the yoghurt drinks: there was a significant main effect of drink type (p<0.0001): the yoghurt drinks reduced hunger more than the soft drinks.

<p>(B) The average time until subjects ate their first item after consumption in the conditioning period for NS (◻) and SS (◼) soft drinks and the yoghurt drinks: there was a significant main effect of drink type (p<0.0001): after the yoghurt drinks the average time was longer than after the soft drinks. Values are means ± SEMs (n=40). Analyses were performed by means of ANOVA (mixed model procedure).</p

Schematic overview of study design.

<p>The study consisted of two periods, and each period had three parts: a pre-measurement, a conditioning period, and a post-measurement. In the conditioning period, subjects were offered a non-caloric sweetened (NS) and sugar sweetened (SS) versions of either a soft drink or a yoghurt drink. In period 1, subjects received either the NS and the SS versions of the soft drinks or the NS and SS versions of the yoghurt drinks. In period 2 these conditions were counterbalanced. The pre- and post-measurements assessed reward value of the drinks using behavioral tasks and fMRI. A randomized crossover design was used. The NS and SS versions of a drink were offered in semi-random order, i.e. each product was offered not more than two days in a row.</p

Results of the behavioral tasks for the NS (◻) and SS (◼) soft drinks and yoghurt dinks. (A) Choice: there was a main significant effect for sweetener type (p<0.05): the SS drinks were chosen more often than the NS drinks.

<p>(B) Total (implicit) intake (g): there was a main significant effect of time (p<0.05): intake was greater after the conditioning period than before. (C) Explicit liking: there was a main significant effect of drink type (p<0.01): the yoghurt drinks were more explicitly liked than the soft drinks. There was a significant interaction between drink type and sweetener type: the SS soft drink was more liked than the NS soft drink (p<0.05). (D) Expected satiety: there was a significant main effect of drink type (p<0.0001): the yoghurts drinks were expected to be more satiating than the soft drinks. There was a significant interaction between drink type and time (p<0.01): after the conditioning period the soft drinks were rated as more satiating. Values are means ± SEMs (n=40). For the choice tasks chi-squared analyses were performed. All others were analyzed by means of ANOVA (mixed model procedure).</p