Expert reveals 4 scientific tips to boost appetite for a buffet

People in Hong Kong love eating at buffets and all-you-can-eat restaurants. However, many feel full after just one or two rounds, their "fighting power" weak, surrendering before getting their money's worth. So, what's the best way to eat at a buffet to make it worthwhile? It turns out that using scientific methods can enhance your "fighting power" and help you get your money's worth! Is going on an empty stomach the worst strategy? Should you drink soda water beforehand?

Taiwanese writer "Gyoza Couple," who lives in Japan, recently shared buffet tips on their personal Facebook page. They referenced scientific literature on "The Science of Eating All-You-Can-Eat" from the Japanese scientific experiment program "Mezatama." They summarized 4 scientific methods to boost appetite, helping everyone prepare thoroughly before a buffet challenge.

Appetite-Boosting Tip 1: Eat Oily Food Before an All-You-Can-Eat Meal

In street surveys, many people believe that "before eating at a buffet or all-you-can-eat restaurant, you should skip meals or eat very little to stay hungry." The Japanese program team conducted an experiment, dividing 6 men and women with similar appetites into three groups:

• Group A: Ate a light Japanese set meal for lunch before the buffet.
• Group B: Ate a pork cutlet set meal with the same calories for lunch before the buffet.
• Group C: Completely skipped lunch (empty stomach).
  At 6:00 PM, all three groups simultaneously took on a 90-minute grilled meat all-you-can-eat challenge. Their food intake was recorded plate by plate. The results showed:
• Group C: Initially, they ate ravenously, but after about 70 minutes, Group C, who should have been the hungriest, surrendered. They ate a total of about 1.1 kg, ranking last.
• Group A: After about 75 minutes, Group A members also surrendered one after another. They ate a total of about 1.6 kg, ranking second.
• Group B: Throughout the 90 minutes, no one in Group B surrendered; they kept eating until the very end. They ate a total of about 1.9 kg, ranking first.

Why did the empty stomach group eat the least? Experts explain that being extremely hungry leads to wolfing down food, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. The body then quickly sends out satiety signals. Conversely, about 4 hours after eating oily foods like pork cutlet, the fats are converted into "free fatty acids" released into the bloodstream. These stimulate the brain's feeding center, creating a stronger sensation of hunger, leading to eating even more.

Expert Advice: Don't go to an all-you-can-eat meal on an empty stomach. Consuming an appropriate amount of oily food beforehand can help boost your appetite. However, be careful not to eat too much beforehand, as that can suppress your appetite, so moderation is key.

Appetite-Boosting Tip 2: Drinking Soda Water Before a Buffet Can Increase Food Intake

Experts on the program pointed out that drinking soda water before a buffet can significantly increase food intake. To verify this effect, researchers observed stomach changes after drinking soda water using X-rays:

• 30 seconds after drinking soda water (100 ml), wave-like peristalsis was observed in the stomach, showing more active movement.
• When drinking plain water, stomach movement was not as noticeable; peristalsis was less vigorous compared to drinking soda water.

Experts explain: "After carbon dioxide enters the stomach, blood vessels dilate. The stomach mistakenly thinks food has entered, thereby initiating peristalsis and accelerating gastric emptying." Subsequently, the program conducted a live test. They divided 9 people into three groups, who respectively drank water, soda water, and juice. Then they took on a 90-minute Chinese cuisine buffet challenge, replenishing the same drinks every 30 minutes. The results:

• Juice group: Food intake: 2.9 kg
• Water group: Food intake: 3.5 kg
• Soda water group: Food intake: 4.4 kg

Expert Advice: Drink about 100 ml of soda water before a buffet, and replenish with the same amount every 30 minutes during the meal. This helps promote gastric peristalsis and increase food intake.

Appetite-Boosting Tip 3: Alternate Between Sweet, Sour, and Savory When Eating Desserts

While dessert buffets are tempting, sweet foods can quickly lead to palate fatigue. A physiology professor specializing in appetite research on the program stated: "Continuously eating sweet foods makes your sense of taste less sensitive to sweetness. The key is to reset your taste buds." The program team divided 9 young men and women into three groups to conduct an experiment at a Tokyo restaurant offering 47 types of desserts, with a time limit of 70 minutes:

• Group A: Ate any food freely. They ended up consuming 1.8 kg of desserts.
• Group B: Implemented the "reset taste buds" strategy. Before feeling overwhelmed by sweetness, they interspersed their eating with sour foods like citrus fruits or yogurt. They chose unsweetened tea or black tea, such as sour drinks like lemon tea. Halfway through, they tried small amounts of savory food like pasta or salad, just enough to change the taste, not to get full. They ended up consuming 2 kg of desserts.
• Group C: Only focused on eating desserts. They ended up consuming 1.7 kg of desserts.

Expert Advice: While eating desserts at a buffet or all-you-can-eat meal, appropriately interspersing sour and savory foods can help reset your taste buds.

Appetite-Boosting Tip 4: Clear Plates Immediately as Vision Affects Food Intake

The program invited hosts to conduct a live test at a conveyor belt sushi all-you-can-eat restaurant. They took on the 90-minute challenge on two consecutive days, with the only variable being how the plates were handled:

• Day 1: Empty plates were stacked in front of them. They ate 31 plates of sushi, totaling 62 pieces (about 1.7 kg).
• Day 2: Empty plates were cleared away immediately. They ate 36 plates of sushi, totaling 72 pieces (about 2 kg).

Experts explain that when plates are not in sight, the brain cannot accurately calculate the amount already eaten and mistakenly believes there is still room for more. Even though they ate sushi on two consecutive days, their food intake still increased.