Education of the postprandial experience by a sensory‐cognitive intervention.

Abstract: Background: Ingestion of a meal induces homeostasis‐related sensations (satiety/fullness) that have a hedonic dimension (satisfaction/mood). We have previously shown that a previous physiological intervention, a meal preload, influences the responses to a subsequent meal, specifically: it increases satiety/fullness and decreases satisfaction. We now wished to determine the differential effects of education on the homeostatic and hedonic postprandial experience. Methods: Randomized, parallel study comparing the effect of real vs sham education on the responses to a probe meal. In two groups of healthy subjects (n = 14 each), homeostatic (satiety, fullness) and hedonic sensations (digestive well‐being, mood) in response to a probe meal (250 mL soup, 25 g bread) were measured on 2 separate days before and after a single sensory‐cognitive educational intervention (taste recognition test of supra‐ and sub‐threshold tastands for real and sham education, respectively). Key Results: Before education, in both groups the probe meal induced homeostatic sensations (satiety, fullness) with a positive hedonic dimension (increased digestive well‐being and mood). In contrast to sham education, real education enhanced both homeostatic and hedonic responses to the probe meal (<italic>P</italic> < .05 vs sham education for all). Conclusions and Inferences: Education modifies the subjects′ receptiveness and influences the responses to a meal, not only the hedonic postprandial experience, but also homeostatic sensations. Since homeostatic and hedonic responses are dissociable, education might be tailored to target different conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]