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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Fat Preference: A Novel Model of Eating Behavior in Rats
Published on: June 27, 2014
Human metabolic phenotypes link directly to specific dietary preferences in healthy individuals
Serge Rezzi1, Ziad Ramadan, François-Pierre J Martin
1BioAnalytical Science, Metabonomics & Biomarkers, Nestlé Research Center, P.O. Box 44, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Individual human health is determined by a complex interplay between genes, environment, diet, lifestyle, and symbiotic gut microbial activity. Here, we demonstrate a new "nutrimetabonomic" approach in which spectroscopically generated metabolic phenotypes are correlated with behavioral/psychological dietary preference, namely, "chocolate desiring" or "chocolate indifferent". Urinary and plasma metabolic phenotypes are characterized by differential metabolic biomarkers, measured using 1H NMR spectroscopy, including the postprandial lipoprotein profile and gut microbial co-metabolism. These data suggest that specific dietary preferences can influence basal metabolic state and gut microbiome activity that in turn may have long-term health consequences to the host. Nutrimetabonomics appears as a promising approach for the classification of dietary responses in populations and personalized nutritional management.
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