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A term used in research to denote “as much or as often as necessary or desired.” For example, in both animal and human experiments, when subjects are provided with “ad libitum,” they are given full access to consume as much as they want.
Author and reviewer
Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- Zijlstra, N., Mars, M., de Wijk, R. A., Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S., & de Graaf, C. (2008). The effect of viscosity on ad libitum food intake. International Journal of Obesity, 32(4), 676–683. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803776 View source
- Hall, K. D., Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: An inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metabolism, 30(1), 67–77.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008 View source
How to cite this entry
CNP (2026). Ad libitum. In CNP Encyclopedia Editorial Board (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
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