Affirmative consumption of basic culinary options potentially aiding weight loss?
In a groundbreaking clinical trial led by researchers at University College London (UCL), it has been discovered that eating minimally processed foods (MPFs) can lead to twice as much weight loss compared to eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) when the diets are nutritionally matched.
The study, published in Nature Medicine, involved 55 adults from England with body mass indices between 25 and 40 who habitually ate more than half of their calories from ultra-processed food. The participants were split into two groups, with one group starting with minimally processed meals for eight weeks and the other starting with ultra-processed meals.
Both diets were nutritionally matched according to the UK government's Eatwell Guide, ensuring identical levels of fat, protein, carbohydrate, salt, fiber, and recommended fruits and vegetables. Participants could eat ad libitum (as much or as little as they wished) and were not calorie-restricted. Despite the matched nutrition, participants lost twice the weight on the minimally processed diet compared to the ultra-processed one.
The minimally processed diet also reduced food cravings and improved the participants' ability to resist them, leading to healthier fat loss and better body composition. The results suggest that the degree of food processing impacts weight regulation beyond just nutrient content, highlighting the importance of considering food processing in dietary guidelines and obesity prevention policies.
Professor Rachel Batten, one of the study's leaders, advised sticking as closely as possible to nutritional guidelines by moderating overall energy intake, limiting salt, sugar, and saturated fat, and prioritizing high-fiber foods. She also suggested that choosing less processed options such as whole foods and cooking from scratch could offer additional benefits in terms of body weight, body composition, and overall health.
Dr. Samuel Dicken, another researcher involved in the study, stated that the main aim of the trial was to fill gaps in knowledge about the role of food processing in the context of existing dietary guidance and its impact on health outcomes. He also mentioned that previous research has linked ultra-processed foods with poor health outcomes, but not all ultra-processed foods are inherently unhealthy based on their nutritional profile.
This study is notable for being the first long-term interventional trial comparing real-world MPF and UPF diets under controlled, nutritionally matched conditions. The findings imply that reducing ultra-processed foods in the diet could substantially improve weight loss outcomes even without changing the overall nutrient profile or explicitly limiting calories. The researchers hope that their findings will contribute to a better understanding of the role of food processing in health and help inform future dietary recommendations and obesity prevention policies.
- Participants who opted for minimally processed meals experienced not only twice the weight loss but also a reduction in food cravings and improved ability to resist them, indicating a potential benefit of science-backed nutrition and fitness-and-exercise recommendations that prioritize minimally processed foods in one's diet for health-and-wellness purposes.
- In order to maximize overall health, Professor Rachel Batten recommends adhering to nutritional guidelines by prioritizing minimally processed options such as whole foods, cooking from scratch, moderating energy intake, limiting salt, sugar, and saturated fat, and emphasizing high-fiber nutrition in line with the science demonstrating the impact of food processing on health outcomes, particularly weight management.
