Does FGF21 Mediate the Potential Decrease in Sweet Food Intake and Preference Following Bariatric Surgery?

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 11; p. 3840
• Main Authors: Nielsen, Mette S, Ritz, Christian, Chenchar, Anne, Bredie, Wender L P, Gillum, Matthew P, Sjödin, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.10.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Bariatric Surgery; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Sucrose - analysis; Eating - genetics; Eating - psychology; Evaluation; Female; fibroblast growth factor 21; Fibroblast growth factors; Fibroblast Growth Factors - blood; Fibroblasts; Food; Food intake; food preference; Food preferences; Food Preferences - physiology; Fruit juices; Gastrectomy; Gastric bypass; Gastrointestinal surgery; Growth factors; Humans; Male; Nutrition research; Obesity, Morbid - blood; Obesity, Morbid - genetics; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Philosophy; Postoperative Period; Postprandial Period; Preferences; Preoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Proteins; roux-en-Y gastric bypass; Sensitivity analysis; sleeve gastrectomy; Sucrose; Surgery; Sweet taste; sweet taste sensitivity; Taste; Taste - genetics; taste preference; Taste thresholds; Weight control; Denmark; United States > US; fibroblast growth factor 21; taste preference; sweet taste sensitivity; food preference; sleeve gastrectomy; roux-en-Y gastric bypass
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13113840

The liver-derived hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has recently been linked to preference for sweet-tasting food. We hypothesized, that surgery-induced changes in FGF21 could mediate the reduction in sweet food intake and preference following bariatric surgery. Forty participants (35 females) with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m ) scheduled for roux-en-y gastric bypass ( = 30) or sleeve gastrectomy ( = 10) were included. Pre- and postprandial responses of intact plasma FGF21 as well as intake of sweet-tasting food assessed at a buffet meal test, the hedonic evaluation of sweet taste assessed using an apple juice with added sucrose and visual analog scales, and sweet taste sensitivity were assessed before and 6 months after bariatric surgery. In a cross-sectional analysis pre-surgery, pre- and postprandial intact FGF21 levels were negatively associated with the hedonic evaluation of a high-sucrose juice sample ( = 0.03 and = 0.02). However, no changes in pre- ( = 0.24) or postprandial intact FGF21 levels were found 6 months after surgery ( = 0.11), and individual pre- to postoperative changes in pre- and postprandial intact FGF21 levels were not found to be associated with changes in intake of sweet foods, the hedonic evaluation of sweet taste or sweet taste sensitivity (all ≥ 0.10). In conclusion, we were not able to show an effect of bariatric surgery on circulating FGF21, and individual postoperative changes in FGF21 were not found to mediate an effect of surgery on sweet food intake and preference.