1,721,206 research outputs found
Designing food structure to slow down digestion in starch-rich products
Full text linkThe category of starch-rich foods is on the spot for its role in the development of obesity and related diseases. Therefore, the production of food having a low glycemic index should be a priority of modern food industry. In this paper three different food design strategies that can be used to modulate the release of glucose during the gastrointestinal process of starch-rich foods, are illustrated. The structure of the starch granules can be modified by controlling processing parameters (i.e. moisture, temperature and shear) thus influencing the gelatinization and retrogradation behavior. The intactness of plant cell walls hindering the access of amylases to the starch granules and the formation of a stiffed food matrix using the crosslinking between proteins and the melanoidins generated by Maillard reaction are also very effective approaches. Following these food design strategies several practical approaches can be pursued by food designers to find reliable solutions combining the consumers request of palatable and rewarding foods with the public health demand of having food products with better nutritional profile.</p
An integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods
Full text linkThe true bioavailability of a nutrient being intrinsically coupled to the specific food matrix in which it occurs remains poorly considered in nutrition science. During digestion, the food matrix and, in particular, the structure of food modulate the extent and kinetics to which nutrients and bioactive compounds make themselves available for absorption. In this perspective, we describe an integrated look at the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability in plant foods. Based on this integrated look, cell wall integrity and the particle size of the plant material during its transit in the small intestine determine the bioavailability of plant nutrients; in turn, cell wall integrity and particle size are determined by the level of oral processing and, accordingly, what subsequently escapes digestion in the upper intestine and is utilized by colon microbiota. Ultimately, the effect on nutrient digestion is linked to food structure through each step of digestion. A consideration of the structure rather than just the composition of foods opens up possibilities for the design of healthier foods.</p
The effect of dietary fibre on reducing the glycaemic index of bread
No full textAs bread is the most relevant source of available carbohydrates in the diet and as lowering dietary glycemic index (GI) is considered favourable to health, many studies have been carried out in order to decrease the GI of bread. The most relevant strategy that has been applied so far is the addition of fibre-rich flours or pure dietary fibre. However, the effectiveness of dietary fibre in bread in reducing the GI is controversial. The purpose of this review was to discuss critically the effects obtained by adding different kinds of fibre to bread in order to modulate its glycaemic response. The studies were selected because they analysed in vivo whether or not dietary fibre, naturally present or added during bread making, could improve the glucose response. The reviewed literature suggests that the presence of intact structures not accessible to human amylases, as well as a reduced pH that may delay gastric emptying or create a barrier to starch digestion, seem to be more effective than dietary fibre per se in improving glucose metabolism, irrespective of the type of cereal. Moreover, the incorporation of technologically extracted cereal fibre fractions, the addition of fractions from legumes or of specifically developed viscous or non viscous fibres also constitute effective strategies. However, when fibres or wholemeal are included in bread making to affect the glycaemic response, the manufacturing protocol needs to reconsider several technological parameters in order to obtain high-quality and consumer-acceptable breads
Cooking, industrial processing and caloric density of foods
No full textDuring human evolution, the development of a wide range of cooking processing techniques enabled humans to provide their social group with maximum benefits from limited food resources. Industrial processing and mass market distribution made available high food calorie density foods to the world population boosting the developing of obesity. Western diet are very much in line with human evolutionary heritage because foods are soft, easy to chew, with a high content of fat and free sugar. The same processing technologies, which created high-calorie dense foods, should also be used in other ways to design products that are still appealing, tasteful and palatable, but do not provide an excess of energy
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