Energy Reduction and Umami

Official title

Interactive Effects of Umami Taste Intensity and Energy Density on Longer Term Food Intake

Overview

People tend to regulate intake by the weight of food rather than its energy content, making energy dense foods, especially those combining salty, fatty, and umami tastes, more likely to promote passive overconsumption. Lowering energy density can reduce daily energy intake, but often decreases palatability, whereas umami can enhance palatability, and sometimes decrease food intake. This suggests that adding umami to a regular energy dense diet could reduce food intake over time, and that adding umami to a reduced energy dense diet could sustain palatability and limit compensatory energy intake. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the effect of a 2-week dietary intervention of adding umami and/or lowering energy density on food intake. Secondary objectives are whether adding umami and/or lowering energy density affect dietary satisfaction, appetite, perceived umami intensity, food preferences, bodyweight and composition, and wellbeing ratings. This will assessed in a double-blind crossover, randomized controlled trial of three times two weeks, each separated by two weeks washout in 33 healthy Dutch adults between 18-65 years of age, with a BMI between 20-30. Umami taste will be added through MSG supplementation of the three main meals. Supplementation will depend on both intervention group, and individual participants' body weight. Energy density will be lowered by swapping regular products for low-fat, low-sugar or higher water products. The three intervention diets will vary in umami taste intensity, and/or energy density: 1) regular energy density without added umami (control), 2) regular energy density with added umami, 3) reduced energy density with added umami. Umami will be supplemented by supplementing food items with 55-60 mg MSG per kg bodyweight daily, divided over three eating occasions. Foods will be offered ad libitum, and participants will add a seasoning sachet containing MSG to their selected portion. The primary objective will be to compare average daily food intake (kcal) over two weeks between the three dietary interventions differing in umami taste intensity and energy density. Secondary outcomes are dietary satisfaction, appetite, perceived umami intensity, food preferences, bodyweight and composition, and wellbeing ratings.

Interventions

• Other Regular energy density, no added umami
  During this intervention, participants will receive a Dutch diet with regular energy density, without added umami (MSG)
• Other Regular energy density, with added umami
  During this intervention, participants will receive a Dutch diet with regular energy density, with added umami (MSG). Added umami will represent Dutch MSG intake levels of around the 95th percentile, which is about 55-60 mg/kg body weight.
• Other Lowered energy density, with added umami
  During this intervention, participants will receive a Dutch diet with lowered energy density, with added umami (MSG). Energy density will be lowered by substituting regular products for lower-fat, lower-sugar or higher water versions. Added umami will represent Dutch MSG intake levels of around the 95th percentile, which is about 55-60 mg/kg body weight.

Primary outcome measures

• Food intake (kcal) [Time frame: From start to end of each intervention (day 1-14, day 29-42 and day 57-72).]

Secondary outcome measures (9)

• Dietary satisfaction [Time frame: Measured at day 14 (end) of each intervention.]
• Appetite and thirst ratings [Time frame: From start to end of each intervention (day 1 to day 14, day 19 to day 42 and day 56 to day 70).]
• Taste Preference [Time frame: Measured at day 14 (end) of each intervention.]
• Perceived umami taste intensity [Time frame: Measured at day 14 (end) of each intervention.]
• Fat mass [Time frame: Six times during each intervention (day 1, 3, 6, 8, 12 and 14).]
• Bodyweight [Time frame: Six times during each intervention (day 1, 3, 6, 8, 12 and 14).]
• Differences in MSG complex syndrome related complaints [Time frame: From start to end of each intervention (day 1-14, day 29-42 and day 57-72)]
• Difference in adverse events or medication use [Time frame: From start to end of each intervention (day 1-14, day 29-42 and day 57-72)]
• Difference between change in food intake over time [Time frame: From start to end of each intervention (day 1-14, day 29-42 and day 57-72).]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy: as judged by the participant;
• Age 16-65 years at the time of inclusion, assessed by date of birth;
• Proper understanding of the Dutch language, as questionnaires will be in Dutch;
• Able to visit Wageningen University, as required for dietary intervention and testing;
• Body mass index 20-30 kg/m2;
• Having normal taste ability, assessed using Mueller taste strip test, ≥12 out of 20 assessed correctly.

Exclusion criteria

• Suffering from endocrine- or gastro-intestinal diseases or other diseases that might influence study outcomes (such as diabetes, Crohn's disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, etc.);
• Diagnosed with eating disorders (currently or in the past);
• Diagnosed with taste or smell disorders in the past six months;
• Pregnant or lactating during the study intervention;
• Following a strict dietary regime;
• Extreme physical activity (>10 hours per week moderate/high intensity exercise);
• Gain or loss of more than 5 kgs in the last six months prior to study entry;
• Suffering from lack of appetite for any reason;
• Use of medication that may influence the appetite (medication will be judged by the medical investigator);
• Having a food allergy and/or intolerance for foods used in the dietary intervention (e.g. lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, MSG sensitivity). This will be assessed with an open question;
• Consumes more than 14 (women) or 21 (men) glasses of alcohol per week;
• Consumes MSG-rich sauces (soy sauce, ketjap and/or curry paste) more than once per day, or consumes more than 3 savoury food items (paprika chips, instant noodles, sundried tomatoes and/or pre-packaged seasonings) per day. This will be assessed with a frequency of consumption table;
• Irregular eating pattern. This will be measured with a frequency of meal/food consumption table, and is defined as: frequency of breakfast consumption less than once per week;
• Unwilling to maintain regular exercise pattern during the study period. This will be assessed with a yes/no question;
• Unwilling to quit use of soft or hard drugs during the intervention;
• Student or personnel of the division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University;
• Participating in any other intervention study/studies or planning to participate in another intervention study during the study period.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Crossover

Masking

Triple blind

Primary purpose

Basic science

Study locations

Netherlands · 1 center

• Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University — Wageningen

Publications

• James BL, Loken E, Roe LS, Myrissa K, Lawton CL, Dye L, Rolls BJ. Validation of the Diet Satisfaction Questionnaire: a new measure of satisfaction with diets for weight management. Obes Sci Pract. 2018 Oct 10;4(6):506-514. doi: 10.1002/osp4.299. eCollection 2018 Dec. PMID 30574344
• Terpstra SES, Hoogervorst LA, van der Velde JHPM, Mutsert R, van de Stadt LA, Rosendaal FR, Kloppenburg M. Validation of the SQUASH physical activity questionnaire using accelerometry: The NEO study. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2024 Mar 18;6(2):100462. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100462. eCollection 2024 Jun. PMID 38577551
• Dalton M, Finlayson G, Hill A, Blundell J. Preliminary validation and principal components analysis of the Control of Eating Questionnaire (CoEQ) for the experience of food craving. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Dec;69(12):1313-7. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2015.57. Epub 2015 Apr 8. PMID 25852028
• Mueller C, Kallert S, Renner B, Stiassny K, Temmel AF, Hummel T, Kobal G. Quantitative assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated "taste strips". Rhinology. 2003 Mar;41(1):2-6. PMID 12677732
• Masic U, Yeomans MR. Umami flavor enhances appetite but also increases satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Aug;100(2):532-8. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.080929. Epub 2014 Jun 18. PMID 24944058
• Bellisle F. Experimental studies of food choices and palatability responses in European subjects exposed to the Umami taste. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:376-9. PMID 18296383

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07438028 · NL-011508

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗