From Bite to Nutrient: The Importance of Length Scales
Résumé
Unravelling the mechanisms of food disintegration in the gastrointestinal tract should allow for a better understanding of the effect of food on human health. Several studies have reported the behavior of pure compounds (macronutrients or micronutrients) in digestive conditions. However, micronutrients and macronutrients are not often consumed as pure compounds but mostly embedded into food matrices. The structure of food products is now considered as a key parameter that strongly influences the release of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract and their bioavailability in the bloodstream. This chapter therefore focuses on how the structure of foods and food constituents affects digestion. It shows that depending on the length scale that is chosen to follow food disintegration, data obtained can vary significantly.