2 weeks to weight gain

Scientists have found that two weeks is all it takes to gain weight by eating ultra processed foods. Studies have been conducted on mice linking processed foods and problems such as intestinal inflammation and obesity. Studies in humans show a connection between ultra processed foods and health outcomes like cancer, autoimmune conditions, obesity and even death.

Ultra processed foods are those that are low in unprocessed ingredients. They include packaged snacks, soft drinks, frozen meals, meat nuggets etc.

Findings from research

A controlled clinical trial was conducted to compare the facts of unprocessed and ultra-processed food on humans. 10 male and female volunteers were a part of the research and they stayed at the NIH clinical Centre for 28 days. Ultra- processed food was given to half of the participants for the first two weeks and unprocessed food was given to the other half. After this two week period the diets were switched between the groups. The volunteers ate around three meals a day and they could eat how much ever they wanted.

An average of 508 calories more was consumed every day by the volunteers on the ultra-processed diet than when they were on the unprocessed diet. This made them gain an average of 2 pounds during the two weeks in the form of body fat. The findings from the study was surprising because both the diets were matched for components like carbohydrates, proteins, fat, sugars and sodium. It was also noted that the participants in the unprocessed food group lost approximately 0.9 kg during the two week study period.

Is it a social problem?

Ultra processed foods account for more than half of the calories consumed in USA. They come across as convenient and cheap options. Those from a lower strata in the society tend to consume more ultra processed foods especially due to lower availability and high prices of healthy and fresh foods.

Link between diet and prostate cancer

The journal “Science Translational Medicine” featured a new research, which showed that fatty acids could fuel prostate tumour growth. Blocking fatty acids have shown to slow the progression of the disease. The new research was headed by Renea Taylor, the deputy director of the Cancer Program at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Clayton, Australia, and Prof. Matthew Watt, the head of the Physiology Department at the University of Melbourne, also in Australia.

They have mentioned in the paper that it remains difficult to prevent prostate cancer from reaching an aggressive stage. They set out to find out what fuels the tumour and how the metabolic some of prostate cancer differs from that of other cancers. The researchers started looking at fatty acids because they found out that there was a connection between diet, obesity and poor outcomes in the men who developed prostate cancer. So those who consumed more saturated fatty acids were seen to have more aggressive cancer.

How does blocking fatty acid help?

To find this out the researchers took human tissue samples from those with prostate cancer and grafted them into mice. It was found that CD 36, a fatty acid transporter, was mediating these metabolic changes. So the researchers deleted the gene, which was responsible for creating this transporter, and then check the facts in the rodents, which had prostate cancer. Removing this gene decreased the signalling lipids, which caused the tumour formation and also slowed down the progress of cancer.

Possible to begin treatment early

The research has shown evidence that blocking fatty acid transport is one way to slow down the progression of prostate cancer. With this, the possibility of being able to give more appropriate treatment in the early stage to stop men in getting to the advanced age increases.