Effects of food texture change on metabolic parameters: short- and long-term feeding patterns and body weight

A complete diet was prepared with cooked pieces of meat, beans, cream starc h, and water and presented to the rats in two different textures: a blended puree and a rough mixture that required a lot of chewing. We hypothesized that this texture modification might change both anticipatory reflexes and feeding behavior. Feeding rate, meal size, intermeal intervals, and their c orrelation were monitored in response to each texture. The long-term (6 wk) effect on body weight was assessed. Periprandial plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, and lipid concentrations were assayed. Whole and background metab olism, respiratory quotient, and locomotion were measured using a computeri zed calorimeter of original design. In the short term, rats preferred the m ixture. However, after 3 wk, they ingested more puree than mixture and gain ed more body weight per gram of food ingested as puree. Insulin response de clined earlier with the mixture. During meals, glycerol and free fatty acid increased earlier with puree, whereas in the postprandial period, glycerol increased earlier with mixture. The metabolic rate, however, was not signi ficantly affected. We concluded that texture, an everyday manipulation perf ormed on food for human consumption, affects not only palatability of inges tants but also their metabolic management in the short and long term.