Scientists gave people two almost identical meals; But one of them secreted more insulin

New research shows that highly processed foods may cause a different metabolic response in the body even when they have the same calories and nutritional value as more natural foods. In this study, a highly processed meal caused a greater increase in blood insulin compared to a meal with the same food composition; A finding that shows how much food is processed may affect how the body reacts beyond its nutritional value.

According to the selection report and quoted by ScienceAlert; Ultra-processed foods are industrial products that are usually produced using processed raw materials and various additives. Previous studies have associated high consumption of these foods with increased risk of certain diseases and mental health problems. However, it is not yet clear what factors, apart from the amount of sugar, fat, protein and calories, play a role in this relationship.

Experiment with two almost identical meals

Researchers from the Virginia Tech University in the United States examined 57 healthy adults with a normal weight and an average age of 26 years. In the nutrition test section, 32 people ate two different meals on two separate days.

The first meal consisted of highly processed foods such as instant mashed potatoes, sugary breakfast cereals, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

The second meal consisted of minimally processed foods, including hard-boiled eggs, bananas, cheese, and cranberries.

Despite the difference in appearance and type of food, both meals had about 300 calories and were almost the same in terms of carbohydrates, fat, protein, water and salt.

Increased insulin after consuming ultra-processed food

The researchers analyzed the participants' blood samples within three hours after consuming each meal.

The results showed that both meals produced relatively similar changes in blood sugar; With the difference that after consuming ultra-processed food, blood sugar remained high for a longer time.

The main difference was observed in the insulin response. The ultra-processed meal caused a much greater increase in blood insulin, and this increase lasted for about two hours.

Also, the body had a higher metabolic rate and burned more fat after consuming this meal, but burned less carbohydrates than the minimally processed meal.

The researchers were surprised to observe the difference in all the investigated metabolic indices.

Why is the amount of food processing important?

It is still unclear why two meals with almost the same ingredients and calories caused such different reactions in the body; But researchers suggest several possibilities.

One possible explanation is that industrial processing changes the physical structure of food, thereby affecting how the body accesses and absorbs nutrients.

Another possibility is that additives used in industrial products can play a role in the body's metabolic reaction.

In another part of this research, the brain activity of the participants while viewing images of different foods was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed that the activity of the part of the brain that plays a role in the reward system was related to the way the body burns carbohydrates. This finding suggests the possibility of a relationship between food characteristics, reward processing in the brain, and the body's metabolic response.

However, this study still cannot determine which characteristic of ultra-processed foods is the main cause of the difference in the body's response.

The researchers plan to investigate the role of food additives and the physical structure of these products more closely in the next studies.

These findings show that to understand the impact of food on health, paying attention to calories and food ingredients alone may not be enough and the amount of food processing can also be important.