Effects of Consuming Preloads with Different Energy Density and Taste Quality on Energy Intake and Postprandial Blood Glucose

Abstract

Consumption of reduced energy dense foods and drink has the potential to reduce energy intake and postprandial blood glucose concentrations. In addition, the taste quality of a meal (e.g., sweet or savoury) may play a role in satiation and food intake. The objective of this randomised crossover study was to examine whether energy density and taste quality has an impact on energy intake and postprandial blood glucose response. Using a preload design, participants were asked to consume a sweet ("Cheng Teng") or a savoury (broth) preload soup in high energy density (HED; around 0.50 kcal/g; 250 kcal) or low energy density (LED; around 0.12 kcal/g; 50 kcal) in mid-morning and an ad libitum lunch was provided an hour after the preload. Participants recorded their food intake for the rest of the day after they left the study site. Energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response were measured in 32 healthy lean males (mean age = 28.9 years, mean BMI = 22.1 kg/m²). There was a significant difference in ad libitum lunch intake between treatments (p = 0.012), with higher intake in sweet LED and savoury LED compared to sweet HED and savoury HED. Energy intake at subsequent meals and total daily energy intake did not differ between the four treatments (both p ≥ 0.214). Consumption of HED preloads resulted in a larger spike in postprandial blood glucose response compared with LED preloads, irrespective of taste quality (p < 0.001). Energy density rather than taste quality plays an important role in energy compensation and postprandial blood glucose response. This suggests that regular consumption of low energy-dense foods has the potential to reduce overall energy intake and to improve glycemic control.

Keywords: energy density; energy intake; glycaemic response; non-nutritive sweeteners; umami.

Figure 1

(a) Desire to eat something sweet; (b) Desire to eat something savoury; (c) Hunger; (d) Thirst; (e) Prospective consumption; (f) Fullness ratings over time on each test day (means ± SE; n = 32). * Linear mixed models showed statistically significant differences in these appetite measures between the treatments at those time points, p < 0.05. Abbreviation: HED, high energy density; LED, low energy density.

Figure 1

(a) Desire to eat something sweet; (b) Desire to eat something savoury; (c) Hunger; (d) Thirst; (e) Prospective consumption; (f) Fullness ratings over time on each test day (means ± SE; n = 32). * Linear mixed models showed statistically significant differences in these appetite measures between the treatments at those time points, p < 0.05. Abbreviation: HED, high energy density; LED, low energy density.

Figure 2

Energy intake consumed at each meal on sweet LED, sweet HED, savoury LED, and savoury HED test days (means ± SE; n = 32).

Figure 3

Temporal curves of the blood glucose response for the test preloads (means ± SE; n = 30). * Linear mixed models showed statistically significant differences in blood glucose between the test preloads at those time points, p < 0.05.