Selective increases in taste sensitivity to glucose as a function of hunger status

Abstract

Glucose is critical for normal metabolic function in humans. Accordingly, the ability to sense glucose and glucose-containing saccharides is crucial for maintenance of energy homeostasis. Here, we report the evidence that glucose is perceived relatively stronger compared to fructose or sucralose when subjects are hungry. In the initial experiment, we measured the relative sensitivities between glucose and fructose when subjects were fasted vs. fed. Overnight fasted subjects (n = 22) completed a series of 3-AFC tests comparing one target (glucose from a range of concentrations) and two constants (200 mM fructose) before and after consuming mild-tasting breakfast sandwiches until satiated (738 ± 60 kcal). We found that the relative sensitivity to glucose as compared to fructose was significantly higher when individuals were hungry vs. satiated (p < 0.001). We replicated this finding by comparing the same range of glucose concentrations to a constant sucralose concentration (0.04 mM) (N = 19, p < 0.001). Importantly, when we compared a fixed concentration of sucralose (0.4 mM) to a range of fructose concentrations, we saw no difference in iso-intense concentration before and after eating (N = 19, p > 0.05). These findings support the hypothesis that hunger selectively increases taste sensitivity of glucose compared to other sweeteners.