Food: more than the sum of its parts

The food we eat and enjoy is not just a collection of macro and micro nutrients, it has structure and texture that affect our response to it. This short review of recent research touches on many of the issues linking different types of food structure to the digestion and absorption of macronutrients. The behavior of both protein and lipid in the gastric compartment can be key to what gets emptied when and thus the kinetics of nutrient absorption, which can in turn influence risk factors for disease. Because of this there is increasing emphasis on understanding the role of gastric processing in digestion kinetics. The use of MRI has significantly improved our understanding of gastric behavior and offers new possibilities for controlling digestion kinetics. In addition, the role of fiber in the upper GI tract is also starting to be better understood. This will also lead to further opportunities to improve the health of the Western diet.