Maltose: the primary signal of hunger and satiation in human beings.

In rats, blood glucose concentration serves as the primary signal responsible for the induction of the sensation of hunger. In human beings, however, blood glucose concentration has been shown not to be the primary signal for the production of hunger sensation. Disaccharide, in the form of lactose in milk, sucrose in nature, and maltose from the breakdown of starch in the mouth, is part and parcel of human diet. The present study tested the hypothesis that maltose could be the primary signal responsible for the induction of the sensation of hunger and satiation in human beings. The hunger-moderating effect of maltose was compared with that of glucose by applying the test materials to the sweet-sensing taste buds on the tongue. Even at lower dosages, the effect of maltose was significant. At higher dosages, both glucose and maltose caused significant moderation of hunger. Maltose, a disaccharide, can be the agent responsible for the primary signals to induce the sensations of hunger and satiation in human beings.