- Sensory-specific satiety in research
- 6 Ways To Kill Your Hunger He althy
- How to use the sensory-specific satiety mechanism?
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Nutrition, as one of the basic human needs, serves not only to satisfy hunger and demand for nutrients, but also to provide sensory satisfaction. Food must taste good and the meal should be consumed in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Then the benefits of eating will not be just about satisfying your hunger. Does the appetite increase with eating? Yes, but only when we serve ourselves a meal consisting of products and dishes with different taste and aromas. This mechanism is called sensory-specific satiety.
Sensory-specific satietyis a decrease in the desirability, "degree of liking" of the currently consumed product or dish and the related reluctance to consume it further, with the simultaneous readiness to eat products and dishes different sensory characteristics - taste, smell, color or texture.
How is it that we lose the desire to finish our dinner, but after a while we reach for a bun or other sweet dessert? Responsible for this are the receptor cells of the sense of taste and smell, which are active thanks to various types of chemicals that stimulate them to create an impression.
When consuming a meal with a specific taste and smell, the ability to transmit signals from the receptor to the brain is impaired due to the "depletion" of the chemical substance in the receptor. Also, the reaction of neurons in the brain weakens and the taste, smell and other sensory properties of the food are less pleasing to the consumer.
As a result, the food loses its flavor and we lose the desire for it. At the same time, however, we are tempted by a product with completely different sensory values, which will taste great because the other receptor cells work properly. If you have such food at your fingertips, you will gladly reach for it, despite the earlier feeling of fullness.
Sensory-specific satiety in research
The existence of the sensory-specific satiety mechanism has been confirmed by research, incl. Jan Gawęcki and colleagues from the University of Life Sciences in Poznań. The group of people monitored by J. Gawęcki assessed their preferences towards various products before and after consumption of hot dogs on a 5-point scale.eating them to your heart's content.
After eating, the biggest drop in the ratings was noticed in sausages, but also in foods with a similar taste: grilled chicken and cheese crackers. After consuming sausages, the group of respondents found the fruit and plum pie much more attractive. Interestingly, it seems that the sensory-specific satiety mechanism occurs primarily in young people, while elderly people are not susceptible to it.
It is related to the impairment of the functions of the senses responsible for the pleasure of eating, and results in an overly monotonous diet and the formation of nutritional deficiencies. The mechanism is also more strongly observed in women than in men.
Studies have also shown that sensory-specific satiety is independent of the energy value of the consumed meal and changes in the perception of hunger and satiety. It is also not affected by the body weight of the respondents.
Another study (Rolls et al.) Found that a variety of meals promoted increased consumption. Study participants were fed 4 meals, including bread, butter, sausage, plain chocolate, and bananas. Then they were given 4 meals of only one of the products mentioned. When meals were varied, their consumption increased by 44%.
The sensory-specific satiety mechanism can be compared to a buffet lunch or Christmas Eve dinner - many types of food stimulate receptor cells and increase the appetite. Interestingly, even just chewing food or just smelling it for as long as you would eat it causes sensory fatigue and leads to the end of the meal.
6 Ways To Kill Your Hunger He althy
How to use the sensory-specific satiety mechanism?
The presence of sensory-specific satiety promotes the diversification of meals and allows you to better meet the needs of the body. After a while, the food you consume will simply get bored. Then we instinctively look for a completely different product.
This makes it easier to avoid consuming some nutrients in excess and others in too little.
It is well known that the nutritional value is different for different product groups. For example, cold cuts and cheese are a good source of protein, fat and B vitamins, and vegetables and fruit provide carbohydrates, vitamin C and antioxidants.
The more one-sided the nutritional composition of a given product, the more distinctive its taste, so the sensory-specific satiety mechanism will work faster.
The presence of the sensory-specific satiety phenomenon is related to the tendency tohedonic hyperphagia, or overconsumption of food for pleasure. If we prepare a monotonous meal, we will eat less than if it is varied and visually attractive. We will eat even more when we have a choice of several dishes with different colors and flavors.
Sensory-specific satiety can also be used in the weight loss process.Being aware of its presence, you should compose meals in such a way that they are not very varied - then we will eat less, we will get a better negative caloric balance, and consequently we will lose weight.
When choosing food, we are primarily guided by our own preferences. The most important thing is whether we like a given product, and this is suggested by the body's physiological reactions. Preferences have a great influence on the diet, but it is not the only factor.
The availability of food, convenience, cultural habits and advertising are also important here. It's fair to say that listening to your instincts and signals from your body is a good thing. Sometimes we really want a product, such as tomatoes, which we do not like every day. Let us fulfill this desire, because in this way we will implement the diet in accordance with the needs of the body.
Nowadays, however, you cannot trust your instincts uncritically, because easy access to food can lead to obesity. Since sweet is the most acceptable taste from birth, our preference is naturally towards sweetness.
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Author: Time S.A
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