People lose more weight if they cook minimally processed food from scratch than if they eat ultra-processed and ready-made foods, according to the first study to establish a clear link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and weight.
Trial participants were given one of two diets with the same nutritional profile for eight weeks. One diet was made up of UPFs while the other comprised minimally processed foods.
When the first group ate breakfast bars and ready-made lasagne, for example, the second ate oats soaked in milk and natural yoghurt and homemade spaghetti bolognese.
At the end of the trial, participants on the second diet had lost twice as much weight as those on the first.
Prof Chris van Tulleken, an author of the study and of the book Ultra-Processed People, said: “The global food system at the moment drives diet-related poor health and obesity, particularly because of the wide availability of cheap, unhealthy food.
“This study highlights the importance of ultra-processing in driving health outcomes in addition to the role of nutrients like fat, salt and sugar. It underlines the need to shift the policy focus away from individual responsibility and on to the environmental drivers of obesity, such as the influence of multinational food companies in shaping unhealthy food environments.”
The study by University College London and UCL hospitals NHS trust was designed to address the lack of good-quality evidence on the health outcomes of UPFs. The findings suggest that choosing minimally processed foods and cooking from scratch as much as possible rather than buying ultra-processed packaged foods or ready meals may be more effective for losing weight.
Minimally processed means that a food has undergone limited alteration from its natural state, for example fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat, fish and dairy products such as natural yoghurt. UPFs have been significantly altered and typically contain ingredients not commonly used in home cooking, such as artificial flavours, preservatives and emulsifiers.
People who followed the UPF diet consumed 120 calories fewer than usual and lost 1% of their weight on average during the study. Those who followed the minimally processed diet consumed 290 calories fewer and lost 2% of their weight on average, including much more fat mass. Over a year, this…
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