When healthy young people eat ultra-processed foods that are high in protein and low in carbs, they naturally eat about 200 fewer calories per day than when they eat ultra-processed foods with normal protein and carbs—even if both meals taste the same.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

64

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64

Short-term effects of high-protein, lower-carbohydrate ultra-processed foods on human energy balance

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2025 Apr

This study gave people two different ultra-processed diets that tasted the same, but one had more protein and less carbs. People ate about 200 fewer calories a day on the high-protein diet, even though they could eat as much as they wanted — proving that protein content alone can make you eat less.

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Source Study

Short-term effects of high-protein, lower-carbohydrate ultra-processed foods on human energy balance

Score: 64

DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01247-4

Similar Assertions

Eating ultra-processed foods with more protein and fewer carbs makes your body burn about 130 extra calories per day just to digest and process the food, even if you’re not moving more.

64

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Even though people still ate more calories than they burned, eating high-protein, low-carb ultra-processed foods made them much less likely to store excess energy as fat compared to normal-protein ultra-processed foods.

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After losing weight, people who eat very little carbs burn about 190 more calories per day than those who eat a lot of carbs, even when they’re eating the same amount of food and not exercising more.

68

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Whether you eat a high-protein diet with carbs or without carbs, your body burns about the same number of calories — carbs don’t make you burn more energy.

59

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Eating more protein every day for weeks or months makes your body burn more calories even when you’re resting — even if you don’t lose weight.

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