Research published in Nature Metabolism has found that ultra-processed foods trigger a significantly different metabolic response compared to minimally processed foods, even when matched for nutritional content. The study, led by neuroscientist Alex DiFeliceantonio from Virginia Tech, involved 57 healthy-weight adults with an average age of 26, who participated in an eating experiment featuring two meals on separate days.
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One meal consisted of ultra-processed items such as deli turkey, instant mashed potatoes, a chocolate chip cookie, frosted wheat cereal, veggie chips, a small sandwich of white bread with peanut butter and jelly, and water. The other meal included minimally processed foods like a hard-boiled egg, banana, cranberries, cheese, and sea salt. Both meals were designed to be approximately equal in calories (300 each) and nutritional composition, including macros such as carbs, fat, and protein.
The results showed that while blood glucose levels were similar after both meals, insulin levels rose significantly higher following the ultra-processed meal and remained elevated for about two hours. In contrast, this meal also triggered a higher metabolic rate and increased fat burning during the three-hour observation period, but less carbohydrate burning compared to the minimally processed meal.
Zach Hutelin, a biomedical researcher at Virginia Tech, stated that they were surprised by the varying metabolic metrics, particularly the prolonged insulin response and elevated blood sugar levels after consuming the ultra-processed meal.
Further analysis indicated that brain activity linked to reward systems might be associated with how the body metabolizes these foods. This suggests that the processing level of foods could influence metabolic responses and reward processing beyond just their caloric and macronutrient content. Future research will explore whether commercial food additives in ultra-processed foods contribute to these metabolic differences.