Food Junkies Podcast Episode 273: Dr. Jacob May | 🧠 How Ultra-Processed Foods Destroy Your Kids' Metabolism
What's really happening inside your child's body when they eat ultra-processed food? In this episode, Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Dr. Jacob May — mitochondrial researcher, registered dietitian, and Associate Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center — to explore the cellular and metabolic consequences of a diet dominated by ultra-processed foods, particularly in children.
Dr. May leads the Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization Laboratory, where his team investigates how dietary patterns shape metabolism at the cellular level. He's a keynote speaker, precision nutrition researcher, and practicing clinician — and his insights here are both science-forward and refreshingly practical.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why mitochondria can't tell the difference between a McDonald's burger and organic beef — and why that still matters
- What phytonutrients and zoonutrients are, and why ultra-processing strips them out
- How ultra-processed foods drive insulin resistance through a damaging feedback loop
- Whether children are more resilient or more vulnerable to the effects of UPFs — and why the answer is complicated
- What the research actually says about saturated fat, ketogenic diets, and insulin sensitivity
- How the gut microbiome is affected by ultra-processed food intake
- Why breath biomarkers may be the future of non-invasive metabolic screening
- What GLP-1 medications mean for the future of nutrition science — and why dietitians aren't obsolete
- Practical, real-world advice for feeding children in an ultra-processed food environment
About Dr. Jacob May:
Dr. Jacob May is an Associate Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and head of the Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization Laboratory. His research focuses on how dietary patterns — including ketogenic and ultra-processed food diets — affect cellular metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic disease. He holds a PhD in nutrition science and is a Registered Dietitian with an active clinical practice. He was a keynote speaker at Pennington's 2025 Childhood Obesity Conference.
Email Dr. May: Jacob.Mey@pbrc.edu
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The Food Junkies Podcast is hosted by Dr. Vera Tarman, Molly Painschab, and Clarissa Kennedy. We explore the science, stories, and solutions behind food addiction and ultra-processed food use disorder.
The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.