The Study
Short-term effects of high-protein, lower-carbohydrate ultra-processed foods on human energy balance
This study is like a fair test where 21 people ate two different kinds of ultra-processed meals for a few days, and scientists measured exactly how much they ate and how many calories they burned. It shows that one kind of meal made them eat less and burn more — so we can say this diet caused those changes in the short term.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Even if the food is ultra-processed (like packaged snacks), eating more protein and less carbs makes your body burn more calories and feel fuller faster.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 578 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — cutting 196 kcal/day is like skipping a small snack daily, which could lead to weight loss over time.
- 2People ate 196 fewer calories per day, burned 128 more calories per day, and had a 14% better energy balance (less fat gain) on a high-protein ultra-processed diet.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nature Metabolism
Year
2025
Authors
F. Hägele, C. Herpich, Jana Koop, Jonas Grübbel, R. Dörner, S. Fedde, Oliver Götze, Y. Boirie, M. J. Müller, Kristina Norman, Anja Bosy-Westphal
Related Content
Claims (10)
When people consume 30% of their daily calories from protein without restricting food intake, they eat fewer calories overall and lose body fat.
When healthy young adults eat an ultra-processed diet higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates for 54 hours, they consume 196 fewer calories per day than when eating an ultra-processed diet lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates, even when both diets taste equally good and have the same fat and fiber content.
In healthy young adults, eating a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates made from ultra-processed foods raises glucagon and peptide YY levels and lowers ghrelin levels after meals compared to a diet with normal amounts of protein and carbohydrates made from ultra-processed foods.
In healthy young adults, eating a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates for 54 hours reduces the excess energy stored in the body from 32% to 18% compared to a diet with normal protein and carbohydrate levels.
When people increase the proportion of protein in their diet from 15% to 30% of total calories, they consume about 400 fewer calories per day without trying to restrict food intake.
In healthy young adults, eating a diet of mostly ultra-processed foods with higher protein and lower carbohydrates for 54 hours reduces daily calorie intake by 196 kcal and increases total daily energy expenditure by 128 kcal compared to a diet with lower protein and higher carbohydrates, leading to a smaller net energy surplus despite both diets having the same taste and calorie density.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.