Diet and Interoception

The CNP Diet and Interoception Research Category consolidates research exploring the interconnected relationship between dietary intake and interoception. To view each original study on the open internet, click “Original.” To view the CNP-written abstract summary, click “CNP Summary.” While only some of the CNP-written abstract summaries are available below for free, all abstract summaries are available to CNP members through the CNP Library Membership. Interoception is one of the six elements characterizing the field of Nutritional Psychology. Interoception plays a significant role in developing our understanding of the Diet-Mental Health Relationship (DMHR). Referred to as “the eighth sense,” Interoception is our perception of the internal physiological state of our body. Interoception pertains to the receiving, encoding, and representation of internal bodily signals in the brain, as well as their perception (Ceunen et al., 2016). Interoception encompasses the non-conscious bodily signals we experience, and our conscious perception of them. NP 110: Introduction to Nutritional Psychology Methods includes curriculum in Diet and Interoception.

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FEATURED CNP RESEARCH SUMMARY

A four-day Western-style dietary intervention causes reductions in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and interoceptive sensitivity

This study published in 2017 investigates the impacts of briefly consuming a high-fat with high-sucrose (HFS) diet over 4 days relative to one lower in saturated fat and added sugar, on hippocampal-dependent learning and memory (HDLM) and perception of internal bodily state (interoception). A group of healthy individuals were randomly assigned to either the Experiment condition (HFS breakfast) or the control condition, and were assessed before and after breakfast on day one and four on HDLM, interoception and biological measures. Food diaries were also completed before and during the study. The results showed significant reductions in HDLM and reduced interoceptive sensitivity to hunger and fullness among the Experimental condition group, in comparison with the control group. The greater reductions in HDLM was associated with the larger changes in blood glucose across breakfast. Those assigned to the experimental condition exhibited markedly different blood glucose and triglyceride responses to their breakfast relative to the control group. The Experimental condition compensated for their energy-dense breakfast by reducing carbohydrate intake, while saturated fat intake remained consistently higher than Controls. Attuquayefio et. al (2017) claims to have replicated the results of animal studies in humans in the way a Western-style diet impacts HDLM, and concludes that the link between diet-induced HDLM changes and blood glucose suggests one pathway by which diet impacts HDLM in humans.