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Cephalic Phase of Digestion

Cephalic Phase of Digestion

The process of digestion is composed of three stages – cephalic, gastric, and intestinal – each with a distinct control center. The cephalic phase is the first stage, and it starts even before the food enters the stomach. It is controlled by the central nervous system and is initiated by any food-related sensory stimuli, such as the sight and smell of food, which send signals to the brain. While eating, the taste receptors intensify these signals, which travel to the cerebral cortex and then to...

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.

Intestinal Phase of Digestion

Intestinal Phase of Digestion

The intestinal phase of digestion is the third and final stage of the digestive process, occurring after the cephalic and gastric phases. It begins when chyme, a partially digested mixture of food and digestive enzymes, enters the small intestine from the stomach. This phase is crucial for nutrient absorption and involves complex hormonal and enzymatic interactions.
The arrival of the chyme in the small intestine distends the duodenum, which triggers the enterogastric reflex. This distension...

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...

Gastric Phase of Digestion

Gastric Phase of Digestion

The gastric phase of digestion begins as soon as food enters the stomach. The incoming food bolus triggers neural and hormonal mechanisms, which last approximately 3 to 4 hours. During this phase, the stomach undergoes significant changes to prepare the food for further digestion and absorption.
When food enters the stomach, it stretches the stomach walls and activates stretch receptors. This triggers local reflexes of the enteric nervous system, mediated through the myenteric plexus. These...

Hormonal Regulation

Hormonal Regulation

Hormones regulate a significant portion of digestion through activation of the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system of digestion contains many different hormones all with multiple functions that are both, directly and indirectly, involved in digestion.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse

Published on: May 17, 2011

Cephalic phase responses and appetite.

Paul A M Smeets¹, Alfrun Erkner, Cees de Graaf

¹Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Nutrition Reviews

|October 22, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Modern diets high in energy density and low in fiber may disrupt cephalic phase responses (CPRs). This review explores how these physiological responses impact food intake regulation in our current food environment.

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Area of Science:

Nutritional Neuroscience
Human Physiology
Appetite Regulation

Background:

Human evolution shaped dietary intake patterns and physiological responses.
Modern food environments present palatable, energy-dense, low-fiber foods.
Incongruence exists between food's sensory properties and metabolic outcomes, impacting appetite regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the impact of modern food environments on cephalic phase responses (CPRs).
To explore how altered CPRs affect short-term satiety and long-term food intake regulation.
To understand the role of sensory-metabolic incongruence in appetite control.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing data on cephalic phase responses.
Analysis of physiological and behavioral responses to food cues.
Examination of studies investigating sensory-metabolic incongruence in diet.

Main Results:

Cephalic phase responses (CPRs) prepare the body for food ingestion.
Inconsistent sensory cues in modern diets may alter learned associations for CPRs.
Altered CPRs may contribute to dysregulation of food intake and satiety.

Conclusions:

The human body's adaptation to modern, incongruent food environments is not fully understood.
Cephalic phase responses (CPRs) play a crucial role in food intake control.
Further research is needed to elucidate the impact of altered CPRs on appetite and metabolic health.