For years scientists have believed that when it comes to weight gain, all calories are created equal.
But an intriguing new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that’s not true. The body appears to react differently to calories ingested from high-fiber whole foods vs. ultra-processed junk foods.
The reason? Cheap processed foods are more quickly absorbed in your upper gastrointestinal tract, which means more calories for your body and fewer for your gut microbiome, which is located near the end of your digestive tract. But when we eat high-fiber foods, they aren’t absorbed as easily, so they make the full journey down your digestive tract to your large intestine, where the trillions of bacteria that make up your gut microbiome are waiting.
This is not new. There are many studies that have shown the same thing, and they all seem to paint the same picture: eating ultra processed foods contributes to weight gain and not just because of the number of calories contained. It is something intrinsic to the compounds they contain and how they interact with our gut bacteria. I used to make this comment all the time on Reddit and I was always downvoted by the “it’s just calories” crowd.
The old adage still applies. Eat food, not too much, mainly plants. Combine that with plenty of exercise and over time your weight will return to normal.