Nutrient Sensing

Specific deficit signals have been identified for certain nutrients:

• Low-Protein: Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF21) acts as a signal for low-protein availability.


• Low-Salt: Aldosterone and angiotensin II are associated with signaling low-salt conditions.

Interestingly, there are no specific deficit signals identified for low-carbohydrate or low-fat availability (1). The absence of specific feedback mechanisms for carbohydrate and fat intake does not imply that the body lacks the ability to detect these nutrients in ingested food. There may still be mechanisms that inform other regulatory functions related to these nutrients (1).

A deficit…