Postprandial glycemic slope as objective biomarker of hunger and psychological eating comfort in cancer patients

  • Xiaomin Huang Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Zhimeng Qiu Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Shaofeng Huo Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Jing Sun Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Xuan Sun Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Lufang Yang Health and Nutrition Unit, SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510000, China
  • Bingqi Xie Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Danyang Yu Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Jiani Zheng Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
  • Peng Chen * Nutrition & Health Research. R&D Dept., SIRIO Pharma, Shantou 515000, China
Article ID: 4246
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18282/po4246
Keywords: appetite regulation; psychological eating comfort; postprandial glycemia; hunger distress; biomarker; cancer survivorship; psycho-oncology

Abstract

This pilot crossover study explored whether the 2–3-hour postprandial glycemic slope may serve as an objective correlate of subjective hunger and psychological eating comfort in cancer patients, addressing the current gap in psycho-oncology where appetite-related distress is assessed almost exclusively through self-report. Seven cancer survivors completed two standardized test days with different preloads used solely to elicit distinct glucose trajectories, allowing examination of the physiological–psychological relationship. Subjective appetite was assessed using VAS ratings while blood glucose was measured over 4 hours. Although satiety did not differ significantly, the preload that attenuated the late postprandial glycemic decline produced a 23% reduction in hunger AUC (p = 0.030) and a significantly higher 2–3 h glucose AUC (p = 0.049), indicating a delayed glycemic dip. The correspondence between a flatter glycemic slope and reduced hunger suggests that postprandial glucose patterns may represent a measurable physiological marker reflecting subjective appetite experience and psychological comfort around eating in cancer populations. These findings introduce the glycemic slope as a potential biomarker that could complement subjective assessments, support psycho-oncological interventions, and improve understanding of appetite-related distress, warranting larger studies integrating validated psychological measures.

Published
2025-12-18
How to Cite
Huang, X., Qiu, Z., Huo, S., Sun, J., Sun, X., Yang, L., Xie, B., Yu, D., Zheng, J., & Chen, P. (2025). Postprandial glycemic slope as objective biomarker of hunger and psychological eating comfort in cancer patients. Psycho-Oncologie, 19(4), 4246. https://doi.org/10.18282/po4246
Issue
Vol. 19 No. 4 (2025)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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