NIH: Ultra-processed foods lead to excess food, weight gain



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May 16 (UPI) – Eating processed foods may make a person want to eat more food, according to a new study.

People who ate ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and gained more weight than those who ate less processed foods, according to a study published Thursday in Cell Metabolism.

"This is the first study to demonstrate causality – that ultra-processed foods cause people to eat too many calories and gain weight," said Kevin D. Hall, senior researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and digestive and renal diseases, and conduct a study author, in a press release.

NIDDK researchers at the National Institutes of Health have given a group of men and women meals consisting of ultra-processed and unprocessed foods. Ultra-processed foods contain ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, high fructose corn syrup, and flavoring chemicals.

Examples of ultra-processed foods include turkey bacon and cream cheese bagels and unprocessed foods include bananas, oatmeal and skim milk. The meals in each food contained the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and sugar.

"We need to determine what specific aspect of the ultra-processed food has affected people's eating behavior and has led to weight gain," said Hall. "The next step is to design similar studies with an ultra-reformed diet reformulated to see if the changes made can remove the effect of diet on calorie intake and weight body. "

The subjects in the study could eat as much or as little as they wanted.

The researchers suspect that the difference in protein in ultra-processed and unprocessed foods, although mild, could account for half of the caloric intake.

"We need to be aware that it takes longer and more money to prepare less processed foods," Hall said. "Telling people to eat healthier may not be effective for some people without better access to healthy foods."

People who ate ultra-processed foods consumed more calories and gained more weight than those who ate low-processed foods.

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