Scientists have learned about the different effects of the same calories depending on food processing

The same caloric content and almost identical composition of products do not guarantee the same reaction of the body. Scientists have found that the degree of food processing can affect metabolism and brain activity. About why dishes of the same composition cause a different reaction of the body — in the material of Izvestia.

Processing food changes the body's response

The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Metabolism. Scientists at the Virginia Institute of Technology compared people's reactions to two dishes that differed primarily in the degree of processing.

The experiment involved 57 healthy adults aged 18 to 45 years. Each person received both food options on different days, with at least three days between meals. This allowed the researchers to compare the reactions of the same participant to different dishes. Each serving contained 300 calories.

What happened after the meal

To assess their metabolism, participants were placed in a special metabolic chamber after a night of fasting, where scientists could measure energy consumption. After the initial measurements, they were given one of two servings, and then blood samples were taken several times over the course of three hours.

After the ultraprocessed meal, the insulin response was significantly higher. Blood sugar levels also remained slightly elevated for longer. The way we use energy has also changed. After ultra-processed food, the body expended more energy, but at the same time burned fewer carbohydrates as fuel.

The researchers note that we are talking about the body's reaction immediately after eating. The work does not show what consequences can occur with prolonged use of such products.

What the MRI showed

According to the publication, 32 participants additionally underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During the procedure, they were shown images of foods of comparable nutritional value and used in the experiment.

Scientists have studied how the brain reacts to food-related signals. Special attention was paid to the ventral striatum and the nucleus accumbens, areas involved in motivation, learning, and reward processing.

The researchers found a link between how the body used carbohydrates after two food options and the activity of these brain regions when viewing images of food. At the same time, the participants did not declare that they were willing to pay more for ultra-processed products. That is, differences in brain response were not accompanied by an obvious difference in the subjective value of food.

Scientists have pointed to the role of ultraprocessed foods in depression

Why did scientists compare almost identical dishes?

Usually, ultra-processed products differ from minimally processed ones in more than one parameter. They may contain more fat and sugar, less fiber and protein, as well as various additives. Because of this, it is difficult to determine what exactly is related to the differences in the body's response: the composition of food or the method of its production.

In the new work, the scientists specifically balanced the two options as much as possible in terms of the main nutritional characteristics. Therefore, the results obtained make it possible to separately consider the degree of treatment as a possible factor influencing the metabolic response.

However, the authors do not claim that processing is the only explanation. The protein sources in the dishes varied, and the physical and chemical properties of the food structure were not evaluated separately.

What will be investigated next

The next step is to determine which features of ultraprocessed foods can change the body's response.

This requires new experiments with other groups of people, larger portions, different food combinations, and longer follow-up periods. So far, the work shows that even with almost the same caloric content and the content of basic nutrients, the way food is processed can be accompanied by differences in the work of metabolism and the brain.