Scientists Served Processed and Unprocessed Meals—Then Compared the Effects - Newsweek
A Virginia Tech study published in Nature Metabolism suggests that ultra-processed foods affect the body's metabolic response and brain reward centers differently than minimally processed foods, even when nutritional profiles are identical. The study involved 60 healthy adults and highlights the importance of food processing methods.
Why it matters
This research challenges the traditional focus on macronutrients alone and suggests that how food is processed is a critical factor in human health and obesity.
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The way food is processed, not just its nutritional value, could affect how your body responds to it, researchers at Virginia Tech have found.
The scientists gave participants either a minimally or significantly processed meal and made sure that both had the same nutritional value.
They found those who ate the more processed meal experienced a different metabolic response and even had different activation of the brain region associated with motivation and reward.
The study was published in the journal Nature Metabolism on October 5.
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