It would also dovetail with the other mysteries: despite investigation we can’t seem to figure out exactly why processed sugar seems so much worse for you than matched amounts from fruit and dairy. Similarly, despite investigation, we can’t seem to figure out why highly processed protein is so much worse for you than non processed protein.
My guess is that alterations to the molecular structure of substances winds up in a negative goldilocks zone: not altered enough that the body rejects it thus getting incorporated as functional structure (cell walls, say), but altered enough that some bio processes either don’t work or work at significantly reduced efficiency or with weird side effects. This will eventually be measurable, we don’t have the right proxy metrics currently.
Interesting, that would definitely jive with processed foods being bad. I think you could make a great argument that it’s more primarily processed foods too, vegetable oils included. Now in these findings, are they under isocaloric conditions? I ask because you could certainly posit that processed foods are bad because they avoid satiating us somehow, but that wouldn’t necessarily hold in situations where we get the same number of calories from them. I think that’s an easier hurdle to start with, it’s very easy to imagine structures in food that our body measures satiety with getting broken down under any type of processing, but your idea of reduced efficiency or side effects would be next on my list after that.
Processed protein is something that there isn’t a great definition for precisely because our models are missing something. There’s something about preserved and processed meats that does something bad but we don’t know what.
Similarly we aren’t sure why natural short chain carbs (honey, high GI fruits) seem to elicit less negative effects than processed short chain carbs. Our causal models are missing something.
It would also dovetail with the other mysteries: despite investigation we can’t seem to figure out exactly why processed sugar seems so much worse for you than matched amounts from fruit and dairy. Similarly, despite investigation, we can’t seem to figure out why highly processed protein is so much worse for you than non processed protein. My guess is that alterations to the molecular structure of substances winds up in a negative goldilocks zone: not altered enough that the body rejects it thus getting incorporated as functional structure (cell walls, say), but altered enough that some bio processes either don’t work or work at significantly reduced efficiency or with weird side effects. This will eventually be measurable, we don’t have the right proxy metrics currently.
Interesting, that would definitely jive with processed foods being bad. I think you could make a great argument that it’s more primarily processed foods too, vegetable oils included. Now in these findings, are they under isocaloric conditions? I ask because you could certainly posit that processed foods are bad because they avoid satiating us somehow, but that wouldn’t necessarily hold in situations where we get the same number of calories from them. I think that’s an easier hurdle to start with, it’s very easy to imagine structures in food that our body measures satiety with getting broken down under any type of processing, but your idea of reduced efficiency or side effects would be next on my list after that.
what constitutes a processed protein here? I thought everything was getting broken down into amino acids anyway?
Processed protein is something that there isn’t a great definition for precisely because our models are missing something. There’s something about preserved and processed meats that does something bad but we don’t know what.
Similarly we aren’t sure why natural short chain carbs (honey, high GI fruits) seem to elicit less negative effects than processed short chain carbs. Our causal models are missing something.