A study from Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute found that ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) can significantly affect metabolism, even when meals are nutritionally identical. Researchers conducted a crossover study involving 57 healthy-weight adults who were given either an UPF or a non-UPF meal that contained the same amounts of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, calories, salt, and weight. The results showed that the participants experienced higher insulin release and greater energy expenditure after consuming the ultraprocessed meal, while utilizing fewer carbohydrates for energy.
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These findings support a previous influential study indicating that individuals consumed more calories and gained more weight with ultraprocessed foods, despite having matched diets in terms of calories, sugar, fat, fiber, and micronutrients.
This research comes amid a 2025 report revealing that more than half of Americans obtain over 50% of their daily caloric intake from ultraprocessed foods. Specifically, approximately 55% of total calories consumed by Americans aged 1 and older were from these foods, with ultraprocessed items accounting for about 53% of calories for adults and nearly 62% for children under 18. The primary contributors to this figure include burgers, sandwiches, sweet baked goods, savory snacks, pizza, and sweetened beverages.
Additionally, the report found that younger children consumed fewer calories from ultraprocessed foods compared to older children, while adults aged 60 and older also had lower consumption rates than younger adults. Furthermore, low-income adults were found to consume higher amounts of ultraprocessed foods than those with higher incomes.