Research
Energy balance
Ultra-processed diets cause increased energy intake and weight gain compared to unprocessed diets, likely due to modifications in the food matrix affecting satiety and nutrient bioavailability.
Be aware that ultra-processed foods are engineered to bypass normal satiety signals, leading to passive overconsumption. This is not a personal failure but a property of the food. To manage weight, prioritize foods that naturally promote satiety (whole foods) and limit UPF.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
One 2 x 2-week RCT showed that an ultra-processed diet led to increased energy intake and weight gain compared with an unprocessed diet... Effects of food matrix modification on satiety, nutrient bioavailability, transit speed and tendency of UPF to foster overconsumption are also postulated.
Why this rating
Based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT), which is the gold standard for causal inference, although short-term.
Source
Ultra-processed foods and human health: What do we already know and what will further research tell us?
Bernard Srour et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2021
narrative_reviewCited 33×
Read the paper This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →