Ultraprocessed foods increase insulin and energy responses but reduce carbohydrate oxidation in healthy adults

This observational study involved 57 healthy-weight adults aged 18-45 years. Participants consumed ultraprocessed food (UPF) meals and non-ultraprocessed food (non-UPF) meals, with postprandial metabolism and brain response as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included insulinemic response, energetic response, carbohydrate oxidation, and brain activation in mesolimbic and superior temporal gyrus, as well as food valuation correlations in visual cortex and striatum.

Main results showed that UPF meals evoked a greater insulinemic response relative to non-UPF meals, with a direction indicating greater for UPF. UPF meals also evoked a greater energetic response relative to non-UPF meals, with a direction indicating greater for UPF. Additionally, UPF meals showed attenuated carbohydrate oxidation relative to non-UPF meals, with a direction indicating attenuated for UPF. Between-condition differences in peak carbohydrate oxidation were associated with mesolimbic and superior temporal gyrus activation. Brain responses correlated with food valuation were positive for non-UPF but negative for UPF in visual cortex and striatum.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Limitations were not specified in the input. Practice relevance should be restrained, as this is an observational study without causality established, and findings are preliminary in a small, healthy population.