Effects of dietary viscosity and energy density on total daily energy consumption by young Peruvian children.
BACKGROUND
Results of prior studies of the effect of viscosity reduction of high-energy-density, starch-containing diets on young children's energy intakes are inconsistent, possibly because of differences in the characteristics of the unmodified diets with which the low-viscosity diets were compared.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine the effects of dietary viscosity and energy density on total daily energy consumption by young, non-breast-fed children.


METHODS
We measured the amount of food consumed and the duration of meals during 3 substudies, in each of which 3 study diets were offered for 4 consecutive days each in random sequence: high energy density, high viscosity (HD-HV); high energy density, low viscosity (HD-LV); and low energy density, low viscosity (LD-LV). The viscosity and energy density of the unmodified starch-containing HD-HV diet were varied across substudies to determine whether the effect of amylase liquefaction was related to the initial characteristics of the HD-HV diet. The viscosity of the HV diets ranged from 79000 to 568000 mPa s; energy density of the HD diets ranged from approximately 4.18 to 4.93 kJ (1.00-1.18 kcal)/g. Viscosity of the LV diets was approximately 3000 mPa s and the energy density of the LD diets was approximately 2.47 kJ (0.6 kcal)/g.


RESULTS
In each substudy, children consumed more of the LD-LV diet (g kg body wt(-)(1) d(-)(1)) than of the other diets and more of the HD-LV diet than of the HD-HV diet (P < 0.001). Energy consumption from the HD-LV diet was greater than from the other diets (P < 0.001), but the energy intakes from the latter diets were not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
Amylase liquefaction of HD-HV porridges resulted in increased energy consumption by young children.
Bennett
V A
VA
Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, USA.
Morales
E
E
González
J
J
Peerson
J M
JM
López de Romaña
G
G
Brown
K H
KH
D000886:Anthropometry; D002669:Child Welfare; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy*; D010568:Peru; D014783:Viscosity