How ultra-processed foods change your brain's reward and food learning
Effects of Processed Foods on Brain Reward Circuitry and Food Cue Learning
['FUNDING_R01'] · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · NIH-11289370
The team is comparing how ultra-processed versus minimally processed foods alter brain responses and eating in adults with overweight.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | STANFORD UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (STANFORD, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11289370 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You may be asked to taste foods and drinks and have brain scans while researchers measure how your brain responds to food cues. The team will compare brain activity after exposure to ultra-processed foods and minimally-processed foods and will try to separate effects of higher calories from added flavors and additives. Some parts use controlled feeding periods similar to prior crossover experiments that changed calorie intake. The researchers want to see which reward, attention, and memory circuits are more activated by ultra-processed foods.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults with overweight or obesity who can undergo MRI scans, taste test foods, and attend in-person visits at Stanford.
Not a fit: People who are not overweight, children, pregnant people, or anyone who cannot have an MRI may not receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain why ultra-processed foods drive overeating and help shape better diets, treatments, and public-health policies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous feeding trials showed ultra-processed diets can raise daily calorie intake by hundreds of calories, but direct brain imaging comparisons of processed versus minimally processed foods are limited and this study builds on promising preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
STANFORD, UNITED STATES
- STANFORD UNIVERSITY — STANFORD, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: STICE, ERIC M — STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: STICE, ERIC M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.