Study: Eating Sorbet Before Meals Helps Increase Food Consumption

There might just be something to that old adage about eating dessert first. A small study found that nursing home residents who ate sorbet as an appetizer before their meals tended to eat more during the meal and maintain their weight.

Previous research has shown that eating sorbet increases salivation more than drinking water does. Increased salivation is linked to increased food consumption.

Twenty-two residents completed the two-phase study. During the first phase, they drank two ounces of a non-citrus beverage before lunch and dinner. During the second phase. they ate two ounces of lemon-lime sorbet instead. The residents ate significantly more food at dinner during the sorbet phase and also drank less liquid during the meal. Eighteen of the 22 residents either gained or maintained their weight, with four residents losing weight during the study.

According to the researchers, the results show the need for a larger study.

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