mealresponsive

Mealresponsive is a term used in nutrition science to describe biological systems that alter their function in response to the intake of a meal. It refers to the postprandial state in which nutrients, hormones, and neural signals drive shifts from fasting to fed metabolism.

Mechanisms: Nutrients entering the bloodstream trigger insulin release from pancreatic beta cells; incretin hormones such as GLP-1 and GIP enhance insulin secretion and regulate appetite. Gut-derived signals and nutrients influence liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue to adjust glucose uptake, glycogen storage, lipogenesis, and protein synthesis. Postprandial lipemia and amino acid flux also contribute to the mealresponsive state.

Applications: The concept underpins research in precision nutrition, metabolic health, and diabetes management. Scientists study meal-responsive gene expression to understand how tissues adapt to feeding, and use tests such as mixed-meal tolerance tests and postprandial lipid or glucose measurements to quantify responses.

Variation and limitations: Meal responsiveness varies between individuals due to genetics, body composition, gut microbiota, age, and circadian timing. The term is not a formal diagnostic category but a descriptive framework for examining how meals shape metabolic regulation.