Food matrix
What it is
The food matrix is the arrangement of a food's nutrient and non-nutrient components and the relationships among them. It describes the food's structure, rather than just a list of nutrients.
What it does
Food structure can affect how nutrients become available during digestion. In a crossover study of 18 adults, measured energy availability differed between whole almonds and almond butter. That is a specific food-form example, not a universal ranking of processed foods.
Research context and ingredient forms
The trial used controlled diets and measured energy availability, not long-term weight loss or disease outcomes. Its result should not be transferred automatically to other foods or to a finished supplement.
Using this information
When reading a study, identify the exact food, preparation, amount, and outcome. A finding about one form of a food should not automatically be presented as a finding about its oil, powder, isolated nutrient, or a multi-ingredient product.
Scientific Research & References
- Food matrix: NAL Thesaurus concept 17238
USDA National Agricultural Library
Limitations: Terminology definition, not clinical evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
- Food processing and structure impact the metabolizable energy of almonds
Sarah K. Gebauer, Janet A. Novotny, Gail M. Bornhorst, David J. Baer
2016 · Food & Function, Royal Society of Chemistry · Randomized five-period crossover feeding study
Limitations: Small controlled feeding study, specific almond forms and selected adults; no long-term clinical endpoint. Allocation concealment and assessor blinding not described in the inspected report.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.