Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Increased Calorie Intake, Study Reveals

Eating too much might not be about the calories in food, but how quickly they enter your body. A recent study suggests that ultra-processed foods can lead to significant weight gain, even if you don't feel hungrier or find the food tastier.

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Sometimes the problem may not be just the calorie content of the food, but that certain foods cause calories to enter too quickly.

Researchers found that participants on an ultra-processed diet consumed an average of 508 extra calories daily. Over just two weeks, this led to an average weight gain of about 0.9 kilograms. Conversely, switching to an unprocessed diet resulted in a similar weight loss.

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When participants ate super-processed diets, they consumed an average of 508 extra calories per day.

The study observed that people ate ultra-processed meals faster, consuming more calories per minute. This is likely because these foods are softer and easier to chew and swallow. By the time the body signals fullness, more calories may have already been consumed.

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The reason may be that these foods are usually softer and easier to chew and swallow. By the time the satiety signal from the gastrointestinal tract reaches the brain, a lot more may have been eaten.

Experts advise that while not all processed foods are harmful, slowing down your eating pace can help. Incorporating foods that require more chewing, like whole fruits, vegetables, or lean proteins, can help manage calorie intake and prevent unconscious overeating.

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You don't have to treat all processed foods as poison because of this. For your next meal, try adding one more food that requires chewing and has volume, such as whole fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, beans, or sweet potatoes, to slow down your eating speed and avoid unknowingly consuming too many calories.