Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC | Virginia Tech Health & Biomedical Research

_{Oct. 5, 2026}

Food processing influences metabolism and brain activity

Most nutrition science suggests that meals with the same basic nutritional profile will have the same impact on a person’s blood sugar. But is there something about food processing itself that influences how our bodies respond? 

Researchers exploring that question were surprised to find that minimally and highly processed meals nutritionally matched on calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, salt, and weight produced distinct metabolic responses. 

The ultraprocessed meals prompted the body to release more insulin and expend more energy while burning less carbohydrate for fuel. They also evoked different responses in the part of the brain involved in motivation and reward.

The results suggest that food processing may affect how the body and brain respond to food in ways that go beyond carbohydrates, fat, and protein — potentially helping researchers understand why ultraprocessed foods have been associated with overconsumption and long-term health effects and pointing to new areas for research.

Virginia Tech researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC published their findings this month in Nature Metabolism.