Research paper
Fardet A. Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: a preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods. Food & Function. 2016 May 18;7(5):2338-46. doi:10.1039/c6fo00107f
Why we cite it
Provides quantitative evidence that the degree of food processing directly predicts both glycemic response and satiety potential across a dataset of 98 ready-to-eat foods classified by NOVA. The key finding for the project: the more a food is processed, the higher the glycemic response (measured by GGE) and the lower the satiety — supporting the practical recommendation to choose minimally processed foods. An important nuance: traditional glycemic index (GI) does NOT correlate with processing degree, while the newer glycemic glucose equivalent (GGE) does — suggesting that how much food people actually eat matters more than the per-unit glycemic response.
About the author
Anthony Fardet, PhD, is Senior Researcher at the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), based at the Human Nutrition Unit (UMR 1019) at Universite Clermont Auvergne in Clermont-Ferrand, France. He received his PhD in Human Nutrition from Universite Aix-Marseille (1998) and his Engineer Diploma from AgroParisTech (1992). His research focuses on the relationship between food processing and health potential, ultra-processed foods, and the NOVA and SIGA food classification systems. He created the "3V's Rule" for preventive diets (plant-based, real foods, varied).