Food perception and postprandial lipid metabolism

The postprandial response to macronutrients in the diet, particularly carbohydrates and fats, underpins the detrimental changes in metabolism (impaired glucose tolerance or postprandial hyperlipaemia) and later pathology (insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes or atherosclerosis) associated with Westernised diets. Research has shown that in addition to what and how much we eat, eating behaviour in itself may be implicated in postprandial regulation. The process of ingestion stimulates cholinergic–vagal activity, irrespective of what is eaten, important in determining both the absorption and subsequent utilisation of nutrients but also potentially food intake through effects on hunger and satiety. Modifications in this aspect of physiology have the potential to influence all aspects of postprandial metabolism and subsequent disease risk in humans.