Eating Fatty Foods Can Actually Change The Way Your Body Processes Nutrients

"You are what you eat," as they say.

At least, researchers at Virginia Tech seem to think so. A new study shows that after just five days of eating a high-fat diet, the way our muscles pickup and process nutrients could be greatly disrupted, leading to long-term problems that may cause weight-gain, obesity and other related health issues.

"Most people think they can indulge in high-fat foods for a few days and get away with it," associate professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said in a news release. "But all it takes is five days for your body's muscle to start to protest."

Researchers asked college-age students to eat a high-fat diet that consisted of sausage, macaroni and cheese, biscuits and food that was loaded down with butter.

While a normal diet consists of about 30 percent fat, this diet was a bit fatter; it was made up of 55 percent fat. However, overall caloric intake was about the same as a normal diet.

After consumption, researchers collected muscle samples to see how glucose metabolized.

Although the study showed the manner in which the muscle metabolized glucose was altered, the students did not gain weight or have any signs of insulin resistance.

Researchers found that muscles' ability to oxidize glucose following a meal disrupted after five days of eating a high-fat diet, which could have potentially explained the body's inability to respond to insulin--a risk factor for certain health issues, including diabetes.

In the future, researchers will examine just how short-term changes in muscles may adversely affect the body in the long run.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Obesity. 

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