Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Ok, so I work at a pizza shop that sells cookie dough, which we make it in huge batches about once a week. Anyway, it seems like I always get tired when I'm the one making the dough, could it be the smell triggering production of insulin? Maybe it's being around it, or looking at it? Is it just in my head?

And by tired, I mean thanksgiving / high carbohydrate dinner tired.

flag	asked Jul 17 2011 at 4:02 douk 177●2●7

Yes it can..... – The Quilt Jul 17 2011 at 5:21

none · Answer 1 · 2011-07-17 13:40:00Z UTC

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I have read that insulin releases in two pulses. The first is released in response to the anticipation of eating - looking a food porn, smelling freshly baked bread, shopping while hungry, ingesting artificial sweeteners - these things are said to be able to stimulate that initial release of insulin. The larger wave of insulin does not occur until after eating, and it is mainly dependent on the types of foods eaten as well as how sensitive you are to insulin.

I've not been able to find anything about how intense that initial insulin pulse can be. So, perhaps you do have a gluten sensitivity.

answered Jul 17 2011 at 13:40

none
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	Sounds like it marries up perfectly to the Pavlovian Response. – BrianGM Jul 17 2011 at 18:26
	It's interesting that you should mention that. I am reading Robert Sapolsky's Monkey Luv and he talks about the dopamine release in response to anticipating pleasure. I wonder if that plays a part too. – none Jul 17 2011 at 18:43
	so, what happens when we have an insulin response but NO subsequent food intake? as far as i can understand: insulinUP↑ = blood sugarDOWN↓ / lipolysis stops - - - - - but i'm at loss as to what would be the consequences of such situation – gn Jul 17 2011 at 21:53
	Right GN - I can't see what the problem would be other than perhaps a sort of hypoglycemic response which may cause increased subsequent food intake. – none Jul 17 2011 at 22:52
	It's possible he's eating some carbs around that time. Even if just once in a while it'll reinforce the response. – CaveRat Jul 18 2011 at 21:22

Laura · Answer 2 · 2011-07-17 04:56:02Z UTC

I don't know about the insulin aspect but I do know that as someone who is gluten intolerant, I can't handle bread dough or even make it as the risk of inhaling the flour is too high. I have heard that the flour particles can stay in the air for quite awhile, land on everything you are working with in your kitchen and then there is the inhalation aspect of it. When I make bread by hand, I get the same reaction as if I had eaten the beautiful, golden loaf that comes out of the oven. Same goes for making cakes and cookies where I have to use a mixer which generally sends up a small cloud of flour.

Eric · Answer 3 · 2011-07-17 06:30:21Z UTC

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Yes it can trigger insulin production.

answered Jul 17 2011 at 6:30

Eric
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Kelly · Answer 4 · 2011-07-17 12:17:47Z UTC

I'd think so but can't say for certain.

I was at a restaurant and they brought a bread basket and even though I had no desire for it, the smell definitely triggered something!!

I would think working so close with the raw ingredients, perhaps the particles are in the air and you are breathing them in? Maybe get a mask for that part of the job, see if that helps??

WaveHunter · Answer 5 · 2011-07-17 13:10:48Z UTC

Rodin (1981) connected the external cues of hunger to insulin, and hypothesized that people (whether obese or not) who respond to external cues of hunger tend to increase the level of insulin in the blood more than people who respond to internal cues. In Rodin's experiment, hungry subjects who are external cue respondents were gathered, around noon, where steaks were grilled. After they smelt and heard the steak, their insulin levels were measured. As expected, the smell and sound of cooking increased the insulin level of those subjects.

http://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/students/hunger.htm

Your problem is most likely caused by a reaction from the flour though like someone else suggested.

Can smelling food trigger insulin production?

5 Answers