Eating Disinhibition and Vagal Tone and the Postprandial Response to Glycaemic Load
Eating Disinhibition and Vagal Tone and the Postprandial Response to Glycaemic Load
Reducing the glycaemic load (GL) of the diet may benefit appetite control but its utility is
 complicated by psychological influences on eating. Disinhibited behaviour, a risk factor for
 overconsumption, is characterized by reduced prefrontal cortex activity, which in turn
 directly modulates vagal tone; a phenomenon inversely associated with blood glucose (BG) and
 insulin levels. This double blind randomised controlled trial explores the influence of
 disinhibited eating and vagal tone (heart rate variability) on the postprandial response to
 GL and hunger.
There is growing recognition that lowering the glycaemic load of the diet might reduce a
 range of cardiovascular risk factors such as raised plasma triglycerides, HbA1c and C
 reactive protein and aid in body weight regulation. A proposed mechanism includes higher
 satiety and prolonged satiation by virtue of improved postprandial metabolic control,
 although, whether lower GL meals result in greater weight loss or increased satiety is still
 a matter of debate. One matter complicating the issue is that the desire to consume food may
 be driven by psychological factors; food reward centres in the brain may override hormonal
 regulation of food intake. Amongst psychological factors disinhibition has the largest and
 most consistent body of empirical data that associates it with weight gain although the
 mechanisms involved are unknown. This study will investigate whether, irrespective of BMI or
 habitual diet, disinhibited eaters have greater glycaemic excursions following a high
 glycaemic load drink and whether this predicts subsequent satiation.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Young healthy adults who scored either high or low on the Three factor eating
 questionnaire disinhibition subscale

 Exclusion Criteria:

 Participants were excluded if they

 -  had a cardiovascular or metabolic disorder

 -  gastrointestinal problems

 -  were pregnant

 -  had a current diagnosis of a mood or eating disorder

 -  and/or were taking medications or herbal supplements to manage body weight or control
 appetite