The Role of Food Structure in the Biophysics of Digestion: The Remarkable Coevolution of the Casein Micelle

There is more to nutrition than food composition, and the biophysics of food structures, from the nanoscale to microscale, regulates and controls the release of macro- and micro-nutrients, bioactives and phytochemicals. As diets shift from whole foods to including more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFood biophysics Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 845 - 851
Main Author Rogers, Michael A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.12.2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Analytical Chemistry
Beverages
Biological and Medical Physics
Biophysics
Casein
Cellular structure
Cheese
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Chymosin
Coevolution
Dairy products
Digestion
Food
Food composition
Food plants
Food processing
Food Science
Micelles
Milk
Nanoclusters
Nutrients
Plant cells
Plant-based beverages
Processed foods
Review
Satiety
Casein micelle
Diet
Health
Food biophysics
Nutrients
Digestion
Food structure
Nanodelivery
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Summary:There is more to nutrition than food composition, and the biophysics of food structures, from the nanoscale to microscale, regulates and controls the release of macro- and micro-nutrients, bioactives and phytochemicals. As diets shift from whole foods to including more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) or UPFs designed to mimic whole foods (plant-based milk, cheese and cellular meat), research must focus not only on the sensory and organoleptic appeal but also on the postprandial responses, satiety and on satiation. For example, plant-based milk and cheese are visually similar to their dairy equivalent, yet they lack highly phosphorylated casein micelle calcium nanoclusters. The coevolution of the casein micelle highlights the role structure plays in digestion as chymosin preferentially cleaves κ-casein at the 105-106 phe-met bond, which destabilizes the micelle surface and curdles milk into solid cheese, altering subsequent digestive kinetics, postprandial response and satiety. Food structures designed to slow digestion and their postprandial response are reinventing ingredient isolate, emphasizing the inclusion of intact plant cells in UPFs. With every intended trait imparted to the food, unintended consequences may alter satiety, food choice and postprandial responses and must constantly be reevaluated.
ISSN:1557-1858
1557-1866
DOI:10.1007/s11483-024-09882-2