Observational studyEBioMedicine2026
Glucose levels are associated with mood, but the association is mediated by ratings of metabolic state.
Observational study in EBioMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- tVNS and obesity-related inflammation: a prospective sham-controlled randomized crossover study protocol.BMC psychology · 2026Trial
- Metabolic Contributions to Learning and Feeling: Why They Matter and How to Make the Most of Them.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHunger is commonly linked to negative mood, and mood shifts are believed to arise from sensing the body's internal state. However, it remains unclear whether this link is driven by subconscious effects of circulating glucose levels or by consciously sensed metabolic states. Here, we test whether glucose levels directly influence mood or indirectly via subjective ratings of metabolic state.
methodsIn this observational cohort study, 90 healthy adults (female = 46; male = 44) were continuously monitored throughout the day using interstitial glucose sensors for four weeks while completing ecological momentary assessments up to twice per day (EMA; M = 48 assessments per participant) to rate mood and perceived metabolic states.
findingsAs expected, hungry participants reported lower mood, and metabolic state ratings were associated with glucose levels. Although glucose levels were associated with mood, the metabolic state ratings mediated this association. Individual differences reflecting metabolic health (i.e., BMI and insulin resistance) did not affect the interaction between glucose and metabolic state ratings on mood. Notably, individuals with higher interoceptive accuracy had fewer fluctuations in mood ratings.
interpretationWe conclude that hunger-related mood shifts depend on conscious sensing of the body's internal state instead of acting subconsciously. Our study highlights the relevance of considering the self-report of bodily signals in understanding mood shifts, offering new fundamental insights into mood regulation mechanisms.
fundingThe study was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) grants KR 4555/7-1, KR 4555/9-1, KR 4555/10-1, and DE 2319/22-1.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.