The Effect of Physical Properties of Lipid Emulsions on Gastrointestinal Function

The mechanisms by which food structure impacts on lipid digestion and the subsequent metabolic processes, including the impact on satiety and satiation, are relatively unexplored, but may have great consequences on the development of effective strategies for weight management. Data from previous studies suggest that (i) the droplet size of a fat emulsion has a distinct influence on GI function and visceral perception (ii) that the biomechanical and digestive properties of the human gut may induce micro structural changes to specifically designed lipid emulsions resulting in different patterns of lipolysis.

The study will assess the effects of triglyceride emulsion with different particle (0.6, 30 μm) sizes and sensitivities to the acidic and shear environment of the stomach on GI function and the kinetics of endocrine and satiation response.

In this study healthy participants will be studied on four occasions on four separate days in a double blind randomized design. The assessment of gastric function will be monitored by novel MRI techniques and breath tests and neurohormonal response by blood sampling.