Dhruv Khullar

So tell us a little bit about the ways in which people have been studying this concept and why you think it's such a consistent story.

So tell us a little bit about the ways in which people have been studying this concept and why you think it's such a consistent story.

I had a chance to go to the NIH to observe one of these clinical trials recently, and it's hard to overstate how meticulously they go about doing things. I mean, someone comes into the lab, every bite that they put in their body is measured. The chefs who are cooking the food, they are basically doing chemistry experiments in the kitchen to try to make sure that

I had a chance to go to the NIH to observe one of these clinical trials recently, and it's hard to overstate how meticulously they go about doing things. I mean, someone comes into the lab, every bite that they put in their body is measured. The chefs who are cooking the food, they are basically doing chemistry experiments in the kitchen to try to make sure that

I had a chance to go to the NIH to observe one of these clinical trials recently, and it's hard to overstate how meticulously they go about doing things. I mean, someone comes into the lab, every bite that they put in their body is measured. The chefs who are cooking the food, they are basically doing chemistry experiments in the kitchen to try to make sure that

The amount of salt and fiber is exactly matched in ultra-processed and processed diets. When people were on the unprocessed diet versus the ultra-processed diet, on the ultra-processed diet, they ate 500 calories more each and every day, which is an enormous increase.

The amount of salt and fiber is exactly matched in ultra-processed and processed diets. When people were on the unprocessed diet versus the ultra-processed diet, on the ultra-processed diet, they ate 500 calories more each and every day, which is an enormous increase.

The amount of salt and fiber is exactly matched in ultra-processed and processed diets. When people were on the unprocessed diet versus the ultra-processed diet, on the ultra-processed diet, they ate 500 calories more each and every day, which is an enormous increase.

So the headline finding here is that ultra-processed foods tend to make people eat more than they otherwise would. And it seems there might be two reasons for that. One is hyper-palatability, and so combinations of sugar and fat, exactly, yum.

So the headline finding here is that ultra-processed foods tend to make people eat more than they otherwise would. And it seems there might be two reasons for that. One is hyper-palatability, and so combinations of sugar and fat, exactly, yum.

So the headline finding here is that ultra-processed foods tend to make people eat more than they otherwise would. And it seems there might be two reasons for that. One is hyper-palatability, and so combinations of sugar and fat, exactly, yum.

These combinations of things that you don't often find in nature, but you find in ultra-processed foods in high quantities. People can't eat just one, as you said. The other big driver seems to be calorie density. So for every bite that you take, there's just many more calories per bite. So, of course, you're going to tend to eat more.

These combinations of things that you don't often find in nature, but you find in ultra-processed foods in high quantities. People can't eat just one, as you said. The other big driver seems to be calorie density. So for every bite that you take, there's just many more calories per bite. So, of course, you're going to tend to eat more.

These combinations of things that you don't often find in nature, but you find in ultra-processed foods in high quantities. People can't eat just one, as you said. The other big driver seems to be calorie density. So for every bite that you take, there's just many more calories per bite. So, of course, you're going to tend to eat more.

Your body may not have time to realize it's full before it's already consumed many more calories. you could envision ultra-processed foods doing a number of other things to the body. I mean, one is changing the microbiome. And so maybe the microbiome changes in interesting ways. You process food differently than you would on a more natural diet, let's say.

Your body may not have time to realize it's full before it's already consumed many more calories. you could envision ultra-processed foods doing a number of other things to the body. I mean, one is changing the microbiome. And so maybe the microbiome changes in interesting ways. You process food differently than you would on a more natural diet, let's say.

Your body may not have time to realize it's full before it's already consumed many more calories. you could envision ultra-processed foods doing a number of other things to the body. I mean, one is changing the microbiome. And so maybe the microbiome changes in interesting ways. You process food differently than you would on a more natural diet, let's say.

Two is changing the endocrine system in some way, the hormones that help us regulate how full we feel and how our body responds to food. And the third is our taste buds. You know, if you're getting big hits of salt and sugar and fat, your taste buds are going to adapt in a way that they want more of that over time.

Two is changing the endocrine system in some way, the hormones that help us regulate how full we feel and how our body responds to food. And the third is our taste buds. You know, if you're getting big hits of salt and sugar and fat, your taste buds are going to adapt in a way that they want more of that over time.

Two is changing the endocrine system in some way, the hormones that help us regulate how full we feel and how our body responds to food. And the third is our taste buds. You know, if you're getting big hits of salt and sugar and fat, your taste buds are going to adapt in a way that they want more of that over time.