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Regulation of Food Intake

Regulation of Food Intake

Short-term regulation of food intake primarily involves neural signals from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, blood nutrient levels, and GI tract hormones. Communication between the gut and brain via vagal nerve fibers plays a significant role in evaluating the contents of the gut. Clinical studies have shown that protein ingestion produces a more prolonged response in these nerve fibers compared to an equivalent amount of glucose. Additionally, the activation of stretch receptors caused by GI...

Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst

Primary Motives: Hunger and Thirst

Hunger and thirst are fundamental physiological drives crucial for maintaining homeostasis and ensuring the survival of both humans and animals. These drives are regulated through complex interactions between the brain, hormones, and sensory receptors.
Hunger arises when the brain detects changes in the body's nutrient levels, including glucose, lipids, amino acids, and hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger regulation. The lateral hypothalamus acts...

The Physiology of Taste

The Physiology of Taste

The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...

Taste Buds and Receptors

Taste Buds and Receptors

Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...

Neural Regulation

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.

Gustation

Gustation

Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

Appetite and reward.

Stephanie Fulton¹

¹CRCHUM and Montreal Diabetes Research Center, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada. stephanie.fulton@umontreal.ca

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

|October 14, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Food reward drives feeding behavior, influenced by neural mechanisms. This review explores signaling molecules and neural pathways modulating food

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Physiology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Feeding behavior is strongly influenced by the rewarding properties of food.
Understanding the neural basis of food motivation is crucial for addressing eating disorders.
Metabolic signals, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters play key roles in regulating feeding.

Purpose of the Study:

To review peripheral and central signaling molecules that modulate the rewarding effects of food.
To elucidate the neural pathways underlying food reward and motivation.

Main Methods:

Literature review of physiological, pharmacological, and genetic studies.
Analysis of research on reward-relevant circuitry, including dopamine neurons and corticolimbic nuclei.

Main Results:

Identified key signaling molecules (metabolic, neuropeptides, neurotransmitters) affecting food reward.
Highlighted the involvement of midbrain dopamine neurons and corticolimbic pathways.
Demonstrated the integration of emotional and cognitive aspects in feeding motivation.

Conclusions:

Peripheral and central signals converge on neural pathways to regulate food reward.
This understanding is vital for developing targeted interventions for feeding-related disorders.