[ad_1]
LauriPattersonGetty Images
- Processed foods were linked to obesity, but researchers were not sure that meals actually contributed to weight gain.
- Now, in a new study published in Cell metabolism Research has shown that even though calories and nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, sugar, sodium were identical, people ate more processed foods than unprocessed foods.
- People were eating about 500 more calories a day, which represented a weight gain of about two pounds in two weeks with the diet turned.
This is probably one of the best-known principles of the wellness industry: fire up processed products and consume more whole foods if you want to lose weight.
The link between processed foods and obesity is well established, but what has not been so clear is that there is something in processed foods that causes weight gain or obesity.
The researchers decided to answer this question with the first randomized controlled trial – often described as the gold standard for determining cause-and-effect relationships – in which one variable is tested on one group and the other group serves as the control – on calorie consumption and weight gain on both processed and unprocessed diets.
In the study published in Cell metabolism The researchers divided a group of 20 participants into one of the following two groups: the first group ate three unprocessed daily meals and snacks that were provided to them for two weeks, while the second ate processed foods during the same time. Here are some examples of ultra-prepared breakfasts: Cheerios with honey, nuts, whole milk with fiber, a packaged blueberry muffin and margarine. An unprocessed breakfast included a Greek yogurt parfait with strawberries, bananas, walnuts, salt and olive oil, as well as apple slices with freshly squeezed lemon .
After two weeks of first diet, participants changed diet and followed the opposite diet for another two weeks.
Researchers ensured that calories and nutrients such as carbohydrates, fat, sugar and salt were paired with each meal. They asked participants to eat as little as possible, or as often as possible, at each meal.
By the end of the study, people were eating a lot more if their meals were ultra-processed – about 500 more calories a day – than they were getting unprocessed meals.
In fact, in the processed diet, they consumed 54 times the added sugar and 1.8 times more saturated fat to total.
The calories added to the processed diet contributed to a weight gain of two pounds. On the other hand, people under unprocessed diet ended up losing about two pounds in the two weeks. In addition, body fat increased by almost 1 pound when consuming the ultra-processed diet.
Participants indicated that they liked both options, which eliminated taste as a factor explaining why people were consuming more calories in an ultra-processed diet.
[[[[Run faster, harder and longer with this 360-degree training program.]
Researchers speculate that the reason more calories have been consumed is that people tend to consume ultra-processed meals faster, which leads to increased consumption of food. They found that differences in caloric intake were not associated with reported differences in appetite, taste of food, or familiarity with dieting.
"It's possible that ultra-processed foods are easier to chew and swallow, more slowly and that it can delay the signals of satiety," said study author Kevin Hall, Ph.D. .D., Principal investigator of NIDDK. Runner's World. "More studies are needed to determine whether the consistency and density of foods, their ease of consumption, are important factors in the total amount of food eaten."
Some things to consider: The cost of ultra-processed foods provided in the study was significantly lower than that of unprocessed meals – $ 106 versus $ 151 for the week. This corroborates the cost problem that many people explain by explaining what drives them to look for processed foods instead of cooking them themselves. Add to this the convenience factor: in this study, both meals were provided to the participants, which meant that all they had to do was sit around a healthy meal, while in reality, they should take the time to prepare it themselves. . These are two reasons that can help explain why it is more tempting to have a fast-food egg sandwich at breakfast than to scramble yours.
The costs, both monetary and over time, are valid concerns, but they do not condemn you to a life of junk mail treated for life. Taking the time to prepare meals, breakfast or lunch of the week can be a step in reducing the amount of ultra-processed foods that you consume in a week, and saves you time and reduce consumption costs.
Or if you are pressed for time, look for unprocessed foods that are convenient, such as roast roast chicken and frozen vegetables that you can steam. Taking small steps will be beneficial to your health and help these changes appear less intimidating.
[ad_2]
Source link