Dysphagia is one of the most common swallowing disorders, affecting millions of people around the world, especially elderly and patients with neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson disease and dementia. Aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration and an impaired quality of life are serious complications associated with the condition. Texture‐modified foods (TMF) and thickened liquids are still a mainstay in dietary dysphagia management, with the goal to enhance bolus control and swallowing safety. Due to such properties, hydrocolloids are essential components of these formulations since they are able to control viscosity, cohesiveness and stability. For example, commercially available hydrocolloids such as xanthan gum and modified starches are in widespread use; however, there is a growing interest towards natural hydrocolloids due to their characteristics such as clean-label nature, health benefits, eco-friendliness in manufacturing processes and suitability for low-resource settings. This review aims to provides an overview of the current knowledge on natural hydrocolloids used in texture-modified foods and thickened liquids for dysphagia treatment. The physicochemical and rheological aspects of natural hydrocolloids are emphasized, such as okra mucilage, konjac glucomannan, chia seed mucilage, basil seed gum, flaxseed mucilage, psyllium husk and aloe vera gel. The relevance of the discussed mechanisms to swallowing safety and bolus control is discussed in terms of thickening, gel formation, water-binding capacity and behavior under physiological swallowing conditions. The review also provides an overview of the potential clinical applications of employing natural hydrocolloids such as improved visco-stability, nutrition enrichment, dietary fibre load and consumer acceptability. Critical review of existing evidence on their role in aspiration risk, hydration status, sensory perception, and patient compliance. Standardisation, extraction methods, shelf stability, regulatory approval and the limited amount of clinical trials are also examined.The paper also covers emerging trends such as multifunctional hydrocolloid systems, personalized dysphagia nutrition, and new scientifically promising food structuring technologies (especially 3D food printing). These results indicate that natural hydrocolloids represent potential substitutes or adjuncts to traditional commercial thickeners, but further research is needed for standardized recipes and clinical proven indications. Interdisciplinary work integrating topics in food science, rheology, nutrition, and clinical dysphagia management is needed in the future to fully achieve the potential of natural hydrocolloids to improve dysphagia management by enhancing safety, acceptability and nutritional quality of texture-modified diets.

Tanzia Islam Shorna, Sadia Sarmin Tania, Md Shadin Hosen, Zou Ping,"Natural Hydrocolloids in Texture-Modified Foods and Thickened Liquids for Dysphagia Management: Functional Characteristics, Clinical Perspectives and Future Directions" International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Development, V2(3): Page(1502-1527) May - June 2026. ISSN: 3107-6513. www.ijamred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.