Read previewIt's been five years since nutrition scientist Kevin Hall made a startling discovery that changed the way we view ultra-processed foods. It was the first randomized controlled study of its kind, and it changed the way we view ultra-processed foods. Aleksandr Zubkov/Getty ImagesHe wants to understand precisely why ultra-processed foods do what they do and what—if anything—we can do to make them healthier. Ultra-processed foods attack our brainsPaul Bradbury/Getty ImagesWe've known for a long time that ultra-processed foods are associated with all kinds of bad health outcomes, from more early death, to extra strokes, and additional heart attacks. Related storiesBut whether the entire category — all packaged, ultra-processed foods are inherently bad for us by nature — is still an open question.

---

Persons: —, Kevin Hall, Hall, Stephanie Chung, Jennifer Rymaruk, Aleksandr Zubkov, he's, we'll, Paul Bradbury Organizations: Service, National Institutes of Health, Business, Getty, Washington Post, National Institutes, NIDDK, Nestle Locations: NIDDK, Bethesda , Maryland, veggies