Biomedical subjects

R D Mattes

Publications and source records attributed to R D Mattes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Physiologic responses to sensory stimulation by food: nutritional implications.

The importance of sensory factors (both the sensory properties of foods and sensory abilities of consumers) in food selection is widely accepted. Less recognized and understood are the effects of sensory stimulation on physiologic processes. Mere exposure to the sight, smell, taste, and textural attributes of foods elicits myriad digestive, endocrinologic, thermogenic. cardiovascular, and renal responses. The responses are rapid (generally occurring within minutes of sensory stimulation), small (relative to the magnitude achieved when food is actually being metabolized), and transient (returning to near-baseline levels within minutes). Nevertheless, they have been hypothesized to prime the body to better absorb and use ingested nutrients. They are termed preabsorptive or cephalic phase responses. This review summarizes current knowledge of stimuli that trigger cephalic phase responses and selected response features (eg, magnitude and type of enzymes or hormones released). Mechanisms by which cephalic phase responses may influence nutrient absorption and use are proposed. Current knowledge of the behavioral and physiologic importance of cephalic phase responses is limited, thereby hampering development of dietary recommendations for preventive or therapeutic interventions. Further study of several identified promising areas of application and other easily proposed situations may provide a basis for expanded medical nutrition therapy.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

The taste for salt in humans.

Accumulating evidence indicates that the taste of salt is innately appealing to humans, although responses to salty foods are strongly influenced by environmental factors. Except in instances of severe, prolonged sodium depletion, a sodium-specific appetite has not been documented in humans. Limited data reveal no clear association between early exposure to salt and various hedonic responses to salt later in life, but recent exposure markedly alters a person's preferred salt content of foods. Restricting exposure for 8-12 wk can enhance the appeal of reduced-sodium foods in both normotensive and hypertensive individuals. Although the appeal of the taste of salt is one factor contributing to its intake, the extent to which such a hedonic shift promotes long-term adherence to a reduced-sodium diet has not been determined. There is little evidence supporting a relation between either taste sensitivity or hedonic responses to salt and blood pressure.

Appetite↗

PubMed1996

Dietary compensation by humans for supplemental energy provided as ethanol or carbohydrate in fluids.

Dietary compensation for energy provided as ethanol is reportedly limited. Whether this is a function of the ethanol or other aspect of the medium in which it is ingested is not known. Eight male and eight female adults ingested 1.08 liters of beer (5.0% ethanol w/v, 1891kJ), light beer (2.9% ethanol w/v, 1197kJ), no-alcohol beer (0.1% ethanol w/v, 816kJ), cola (1749kJ) or carbonated water (0kJ) every 3-4 days with a midday meal. Diet records were kept the preceding day and day of beverage ingestion. Energy intake was significantly higher each day an energy-bearing beverage was consumed relative to its preceding day. A literature review revealed dietary compensation for modifications of energy intake via fluids is less precise than when solid foods are manipulated. These findings demonstrate dietary adjustment for energy derived from ethanol is imprecise, but also indicate energy from carbohydrate elicits little dietary response when ingested in a beverage.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Oral fat exposure alters postprandial lipid metabolism in humans.

Accumulating evidence indicates that oronasal sensory stimulation influences nutrient metabolism. This work examined the effects of oral exposure to dietary fat on postprandial plasma triacylglycerol (triglyceride) concentrations. Fifteen (six male, nine female) healthy adults were exposed to each of four treatments presented in random order. After ingestion of a 50-g load of safflower oil in capsules (to preclude oral exposure to the fat), they masticated and expectorated 1) crackers with cream cheese, 2) crackers with nonfat cream cheese, 3) crackers alone, or 4) nothing. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 h after load ingestion. Sensory discrimination tests were conducted with the cream cheese samples after these sessions. Oral exposure to the full-fat cream cheese led to a significantly greater area under the plasma triacylglycerol curve than did the other treatments (P < 0.05). The increment was attributable to both a significantly higher peak concentration and a more enduring elevation (P < 0.05). The oral stimuli were not ingested (so did not add to the load), subjects were not aware of the macronutrient composition of the cream cheese samples (thereby eliminating cognitive effects), and subjects could not distinguish between the cream cheese samples in sensory tests (minimizing a sensory influence). Consequently, these data suggest that there is a chemosensory or tactile mechanism in the oronasal region of humans for detecting some aspect of the chemical composition of dietary fat, or a component derived from or carried in fat, that elicits a change in postprandial lipid metabolism.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Effects of sweet taste stimulation on growth and sucking in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of sweet taste stimulation in augmenting the reported growth-enhancing effects of nonnutritive sucking in preterm infants who are gavage-fed. DESIGN: Random assignment of preterm infants to receive stimulation by one of three methods during each feeding until totally orally fed. SETTING: Hospital intensive-care and infant transitional units. PATIENTS: Eligibility criteria included body weight greater than or equal to 1,250 g, gestational age younger than 34 weeks, growth parameters appropriate for gestational age, tolerating at least 100 kcals/kg/day by gavage feeding with evidence of weight gain, and no clinical evidence of health complications. Data are presented for 42 infants who completed 14 days of treatment. INTERVENTIONS: Exposure to a sweet pacifier, a latex pacifier, or maternal heartbeat sounds during gavage feedings. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Growth, time to total oral feeding, and sucking responses. RESULTS: No significant differences in sucking measures were noted among treatment groups. Differences in progression time to total oral feedings and weight gain favored the sweet-pacifier group but were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Oral stimulation of gavage-fed, preterm infants during a 2-week hospitalization was not sufficient to elicit a significant improvement in growth efficiency, progression to total oral feedings, or sucking maturation. Additional studies may show a beneficial effect of chemosensory stimulation in preterm infants.

Child Development↗

PubMed1996

Role of food familiarity and taste quality in food preferences of individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemosensory function and food attribute preferences of individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, matched-groups comparison. SUBJECTS: Fifteen (eight female and seven male) individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome and an age- and sex-matched non-affected sample. MEASUREMENTS: Intensity ratings of taste and odor stimuli and hedonic ranking of 20 foods varying in sensory attributes (e.g. taste familiarity). RESULTS: Sensory test performance was comparable in the PWS and control groups. In addition, individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome showed a pattern of food preferences that was similar to their non-affected counterparts. CONCLUSION: Abnormal chemosensory function does not underlie the ingestive behavior of individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Chemosensory function and diet in HIV-infected patients.

Alterations of chemosensory function have been noted in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but their frequency, severity, and relationship to diet have not been adequately assessed. Odor and taste identification tests and a taste-intensity scaling task were administered to 25 men who were HIV-infected but otherwise healthy. Responses were compared to those of 49 comparably aged male control subjects. Dietary information was obtained by questionnaire. Although 72% of HIV-infected patients reported some chemosensory alteration, no significant differences in taste identification ability or intensity ratings were observed between patients and controls. Twelve percent of patients had poor odor identification scores, but the group mean was similar to that of controls. Neither measured nor self-reported sensory indices were significantly related to any variable of health (e.g., HIV helper cell (CD4) count, body weight, or body composition), treatment, or diet.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Dietary assessment of patients with chemosensory disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To identify individuals who are at nutritional risk because of taste and/or smell disorders. DESIGN: Patients referred by a private physician for evaluation of a chemosensory complaint underwent an extensive battery of taste and smell tests, otorhinolaryngologic tests, and, in some cases, periodontal examinations and completed a dietary/health questionnaire, a 24-hour recall, and a 2-day diet record. SETTING: Patients were interviewed at the Monell-Jefferson Chemosensory Clinical Research Center, Philadelphia, Pa. SUBJECTS: We studied 310 patients (142 men and 168 women) with a primary complaint of chemosensory disorder. Mean age was 50.5 +/- 15.7 (range = 15 to 93 years). Normative data were provided by an additional 79 healthy control subjects (42 men and 37 women) with no taste or smell complaint. Their mean age was 48.8 +/- 18.8 years (range = 20 to 83 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Chemosensory disorder-related changes in food habits (determined by questionnaire responses), nutrient intake (analysis of 3-day food records), and body weight (self-reported). STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Analysis of covariance, followed by post hoc analysis of adjusted means with the Tukey honestly significant difference test, was used to explore group differences in nutrient intake and body weight. chi 2 Analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate relationships between variables. RESULTS: When groups were classified according to chemosensory diagnosis, group differences were observed on global appetitive questions, but complaints were high in all groups. Approximately 65% (203 of 310) of patients had self-reported body weights within 5% of their predisorder weight, but clinically meaningful weight gains or losses were observed in each group. Patients with multiple chemosensory disorders were most likely to lose weight, whereas the incidence of weight gain was highest in patients with anosmia. Patient report of a change in eating patterns was the best predictor of weight change among the variables examined. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary responses to chemosensory disorders vary widely and may place patients at nutritional risk. Until better prognostic indexes are identified, dietitians should query patients about disorder-related alterations in eating patterns and provide appropriate individualized counseling.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Influences on acceptance of bitter foods and beverages.

Bitterness is generally viewed as an undesirable attribute of foods and beverages, yet segments of the population regularly ingest items with a prominent bitter taste. The influence of taste sensitivity, exposure, selected personality traits (i.e., neophobia, variety seeking, sensation seeking) and pharmacological reactivity on alcohol and caffeine consumption, two widely consumed bitter substances, was assessed in 20 healthy adults (10 male, 10 female). Self-reported alcohol use was positively correlated with measured ethanol taste detection threshold and pharmacological reactivity (self-reported behavioral effects). The latter accounted for 23% of the variance in alcohol intake. Caffeine intake was significantly associated with personality traits. Sensation seeking status and self-reported reactivity to caffeine accounted for 46% of the variance in caffeine intake. Pleasantness ratings for novel bitter and sour foods were unaffected by 10 exposures whereas increased ratings were given to sweet and salty items. Variation in the influence of these factors between individuals and across products may explain individual differences in the acceptability and use of foods and beverages containing alcohol, caffeine and other bitter compounds.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Cannabinoids and appetite stimulation.

Appetite stimulation by cannabinoids is highly variable. Four within-subject design studies explored the effects of age, gender, satiety status, route of drug administration, and dose on intake. One study involved a single oral administration of active drug (15 mg males, 10 mg females) or placebo to an age and gender stratified sample of 57 healthy, adult light marijuana users. Eleven subjects received single doses by oral, sublingual, and inhaled routes in a second study. In the third study, 10 subjects ingested a single oral dose in fasted and fed states. A 2.5 mg dose was administered b.i.d. for 3 days by oral and rectal suppository routes in the fourth study. Mean daily energy intake was significantly elevated following chronic dosing by rectal suppository, but not oral capsule, relative to all acute dosing regimens except inhalation. Total daily energy intake was comparable on fed and fasted days, suggesting satiety mechanisms were not impaired by the drug. Subject age, gender, reported "high," and plasma drug level were not significantly associated with drug effects on food intake.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Prevention of food aversions in cancer patients during treatment.

Food aversions are a common complication of cancer treatment. This study evaluated an approach for blocking the formation of aversions to dietary items in 209 cancer patients treated with chemo- and/or radiotherapy. Patients were exposed to a sensory stimulus (fruit beverage, halava, odor) before initial treatments to provide a target for aversion formation, thereby sparing dietary items. Patients who developed an aversion to the "scapegoat" stimulus experienced a statistically significant 30% reduction in dietary aversion formation relative to patients without a scapegoat aversion or those not exposed to the scapegoat. The most effective scapegoat was the beverage, probably because it was consumed in greatest quantity. Exposure of patients to a "scapegoat" food or beverage just before chemo- and, probably, radiotherapy can markedly reduce the incidence of treatment-related aversions to foods in the patients' customary diet.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Effects of cannabinoids (marijuana) on taste intensity and hedonic ratings and salivary flow of adults.

Cannabinoids purportedly improve taste responsiveness and enhance the sensory appeal of foods. These properties and a commonly cited oral drying effect were evaluated in a series of studies with 'light' marijuana users. The first was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, acute oral dosing trial, involving an age and gender stratified sample of 57 adults. An influence of route of drug delivery was explored in another 11 individuals who were administered a single dose orally, sublingually and via cigarette. To explore effects following chronic administration, six additional individuals were dosed twice per day for 3 days orally and by rectal suppository. Taste intensity and hedonic responses for sweet, sour, salty and bitter food stimuli were monitored at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 hours post-dosing in the acute studies, and daily in the chronic study. Stimulated saliva samples were collected at these same times. Salivary flow rate was significantly negatively correlated with plasma drug levels, and reported 'high' 2 and 4 h post-dosing. No effects of the drug were observed on taste responses. Self-reported shifts in taste responsiveness and hedonics may be related to alterations of memory and cognition, rather than gustatory function.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed1993

Cephalic-phase insulin in obese and normal-weight men: relation to postprandial insulin.

Cephalic-phase insulin release (CPIR) and its relation to postprandial insulin release were examined in 18 normal-weight and 15 obese men. When the insulin data were expressed as absolute differences from baseline values, obese subjects exhibited significantly greater CPIR than normal-weight subjects (normals, 8.7 +/- 2.1 microU/mL/10 min; obese, 13.4 +/- 4.3 microU/mL/10 min; P < .01). Obese subjects were then separated into groups depending on their fasting insulin levels. This showed that only those subjects with elevated fasting insulin levels exhibited greater CPIR than normal subjects, and suggested that previous reports of exaggerated CPIR in the obese are merely a reflection of a basal hypersecretion of insulin. However, when insulin values were expressed as percentages of baseline, no significant differences between normal-weight and obese subjects were found, although a trend toward an attenuated response was observed in the obese group as a whole (normals, 81.6 +/- 19.1 microU/mL/10 min; obese, 51.3 +/- 16.1 microU/mL/10 min). A significant correlation between cephalic-phase and postprandial insulin release was found in normal-weight subjects (r = .62, P < .05), but not in obese subjects (r = .02, P < .9).

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Bypassing the first-pass effect for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids.

An oral formulation of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in sesame oil (Marinol) is at present used for the management of chemotherapy-related nausea and emesis. However, due partly to poor bioavailability, its efficacy is variable. To circumvent possible metabolism in the gut and a first-pass effect by the liver, a suppository formulation of THC hemisuccinate ester was prepared. Administration of the suppository containing 11.8 mg of the hemisuccinate ester (equivalent to 9 mg THC) to three adult females (two of whom had previously exhibited low plasma drug levels following a 10-mg dose of the oral formulation) led to a marked and sustained elevation of plasma drug levels. Areas under the curves for plasma THC were more than 30-fold higher than after oral dosing. The suppository was well tolerated. The higher and more sustained plasma drug level achieved with this new formulation should enhance its antiemetic efficacy.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Fat preference and adherence to a reduced-fat diet.

The nature and mechanisms of altered food acceptability during adherence to a reduced-fat diet have not been characterized. These issues were assessed in healthy adults assigned to a reduced-fat diet excluding discretionary fat sources (n = 9), a similar diet permitting fat-modified products (n = 9) or no dietary modification (n = 9). Sensory responses to foods, body composition, and dietary intake were determined at baseline, monthly during 12 wk of diet adherence, and 12 followup wk. Marked and comparable reductions of fat intake were achieved in the experimental groups. Hedonic (ie, pleasantness) ratings for high-fat foods and preferred fat content of selected foods declined, but only in the group deprived of sensory exposure to fats. Thus, the frequency of sensory exposure to fats exerts a stronger influence on hedonic ratings of foods containing fat than total fat intake. The hedonic shift may promote long-term compliance with a reduced-fat diet.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Hunger.

The term 'hunger' has a variety of meanings, and numerous physiological mechanisms underlying the sensation have been proposed. This review delineates the most common uses of the term, examines methods for measuring features of the experience and critically evaluates the evidence supporting its physiological basis. In addition, the association between reported hunger and ingestive behavior in healthy and selected clinical populations is discussed. Hunger is an important psychological and physiological phenomena that exerts a strong influence on behavior. When better characterized, it should be more amenable to monitoring and manipulation for therapeutic purposes.

Eating↗

PubMed1993

Human dietary responses to perceived manipulation of fat content in a midday meal.

The influence of knowledge about the macronutrient content of foods on dietary habits is poorly understood. The present study examined dietary responses to manipulations of information about the fat content of a midday meal provided to 17 free-living individuals. Following a one week baseline period, subjects were told that the meal provided each day for three 12-day blocks supplied a greater, lesser or equal amount of fat than their customary midday meal. They recorded daily intake. During the low-fat information period, subjects increased their total daily intake of energy relative to the high-fat period, their energy derived from protein relative to baseline and their energy derived from fat relative to all other periods. Information about the fat content of foods can influence food selection and should be considered when developing dietary interventions aimed at moderating fat intake.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Clinical implications of learned food aversions in patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: The nutritional implications of learned food aversions were evaluated in patients with newly diagnosed cancer receiving either chemotherapy (n = 53) or radiation therapy (n = 49). METHODS: Aversion incidence was determined by questionnaires and a food challenge. Measures of dietary and nutritional status included ratings of appetite and chemosensory function; reported shifts of food selection and measured body weight; lymphocyte count; hematocrit; and plasma albumin, transferrin, and hemoglobin levels. Quality of life was assessed by self-ratings of mood and well-being. RESULTS: Subsequent to the initiation of treatments, aversions formed in 56% and 62% of patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy, respectively. The aversions were specific (two to four items per afflicted patient) and transient (mean duration, 0.25-2 months). All types of foods and beverages were targeted. No significant association was observed between food aversion incidence and any measure of dietary complications, nutritional status, or quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Although food aversions are a common sequela of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, they generally have limited clinical significance.

Adult↗