Postprandial

Postprandial (noun form: postprandium) means after eating a meal while preprandial is before a meal.

Usages of the term

This term is used in many contexts but also in relation to blood sugar (or blood glucose) levels, which are normally measured 2 hours after and before eating in a postprandial glucose test. For example, the American Diabetes Association recommends a postprandial glucose level under 180 mg/dl and a preprandial plasma glucose between 90-130 mg/dl. However, this is not the only context in which this term is used.

• Postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG) is high blood sugar following a meal. It can be evaluated in a postprandial glucose test.
• Postprandial dip is a mild decrease in blood sugar after eating a big meal, possibly leading to drowsiness.
• Postprandial hypotension is a drastic decline in blood pressure which happens after eating a meal.
• Postprandial regurgitation is a unique symptom of rumination syndrome.

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Postprandial thermogenesis increases basal metabolic rate to different degree depending on food constituents.

• Postprandial thermogenesis is heat production due to metabolism after a meal, temporarily increasing the basal metabolic rate.
• Postprandial abdominal distension usually refers to bloating of the abdomen following a meal, especially a large one. It is generally harmless, but tends to be uncomfortable. Instances of its sudden onset or prolonged duration can, however, be symptoms of certain severe adverse gastro-intestinal conditions.
  Postprandial abdominal distension is also a documented side effect of some medications.

Processes in the postprandium

In the postprandium, there is digestion of food in the gastrointestinal tract, followed by uptake and various metabolic processes, mainly anabolic ones (building organic molecules from smaller units). The postprandium is characterized by an increased activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, putting the body in a state of "rest and digest".