Ultra-Processed Food and Nutrition Policy: What We're Getting Wrong | Dr. David Ludwig | The Metabolic Link Ep. 85
The Metabolic Link
Outro
Hosts summarize precision importance, provide resources, and close with Metabolic Initiative membership info.
The term “ultra-processed food” appeared nearly 100 times in the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report. But questions remain about whether the concept is precise enough to guide effective policy.
Dr. David Ludwig—Harvard endocrinologist, obesity researcher, and author of Always Hungry—joins Dr. Dominic D'Agostino to dismantle the ultra-processed food framework from the inside out. Ludwig reveals why the NOVA classification system lumps protein bars with soda, why the FDA admitted they can't define what they're trying to regulate, and why the famous studies showing ultra-processed foods cause overeating may be fundamentally flawed.
This conversation cuts through the noise to identify what actually matters: the mechanistic difference between processing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—and why that distinction should reshape nutrition policy.
Questions answered in this episode:
- Can ultra-processed foods be "fixed" through reformulation?
- What's the most overrated "healthy" food in supermarkets?
- Should omega-3 levels be part of standard blood work?
- Are GLP-1 drugs a metabolic reset or a lifelong crutch?
- If you could pass one food policy law, what would it be?
- Why did the low-fat diet era make obesity worse?
Dr. Ludwig argues that "ultra-processed food" is a compelling marketing term without mechanistic grounding—and that precise, actionable targets like highly processed carbohydrates and demonstrably harmful additives would do far more to improve public health.
Where to find more of Dr. Ludwig's work online:
Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:
✅ Fatty15 – Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ Troscriptions – Get 10% off your first order with code METABOLICLINK here.
✅ iRestore - Get a huge discount on the iRestore Illumina Face Mask when you use the code METABOLICLINK here.
✅Genova Connect – Get 15% off any test kit with code METABOLICLINK here.
In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!
You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!
Find us on social:
Please keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.
The AI-powered Podcast Player
