The Chocolate Almond Study - Relating Chewing to Satiation and Postprandial Response

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to relate chewing behaviours to food intake and postprandial response for a texturally complex food matrix (almonds in white chocolate) in healthy young females. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the presence or preparation of almonds (whole versus chopped) influence satiation, i.e., the amount consumed at an ad libitum meal? * What is the correlation between chewing behaviour, satiation, and changes in postprandial glucose, triacylglycerols, and satiety ratings? Participants will attend the research centre fasted on three occasions to consume an ad libitum meal, complete questionnaires, and provide fasting and postprandial finger prick blood samples.

This study is investigating how the size and presence of almonds (whole vs. chopped) in a white chocolate matrix affect satiation (termination of eating) and postprandial satiety, glycemia, and lipemia. Over three visits, fasted healthy adult female participants will consume three types of white chocolate bark: one with whole almonds, one with chopped almonds, and one with just chocolate. The amount of each ad libitum meal consumed and eating time will be quantified to compare satiation between the confectionery products. Participants will rate their chewing experiences (e.g., exertion, liking, motivations to stop eating) and feelings of satiety up to 180 minutes using paper questionnaires. Participants will also provide finger prick blood samples for determination of glucose and triacylglycerol levels before and after eating each treatment, i.e., at baseline (0 minutes) and 120 (glucose) and 180 (triacylglycerols) minutes after eating. Overall, this study aims to provide insights into the role of food structure in influencing eating and metabolic response and ultimately how food choices can be optimized for better management of blood sugar, satiety, and lipemia to support cardiometabolic health. It is being complemented by a collaboration with researchers in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph (led by Prof. Lisa Duizer) examining sensory perception of these same texturally complex foods and the relationship between oral processing behaviour and bolus properties, as well as by in vitro digestion investigations of digestate properties and nutrient release to enable an integrated understanding linking food structure to eating behaviour and postprandial metabolism.