It happens to everyone. You have a busy day, it’s late, you missed lunch and you left your meal replacement in the fridge at home.

You don’t want muscle to waste away, so you cruise into a drive-through and pick up a burger.

The rationale is that at least you’ll be getting a decent dose of protein — assuming that you resist temptation and pass on the double-bacon cheeseburger and French fries. It’s not ideal, but, hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Verdict: Fiction

Solution: New research should send you scurrying for a new plan B. Let’s start with a vocabulary lesson. The Maillard reaction is an entirely natural chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars or fat that occurs when some foods are heated to a certain degree.

It is responsible for the color of meat when it is browned and for the color of the crust on bread; it even occurs in beer, coffee and chocolate.

However, a recent study conducted at the Zaidin Experimental Station in Granada, Spain, found decreased levels of protein absorption for fast food (which is high in Maillard-reaction products) eaten by test subjects.

This means that, instead of going to muscles, some of the protein the subjects ingested was going down the toilet. Literally!

Furthermore, there’s evidence that high-fructose corn syrup increases the effect (less protein absorption) of Maillard-reaction products. Guess what’s used in many fast-food menu items, from burger buns to most soft drinks? HFCS.

Alternatives The Maillard reaction is not an entirely bad thing. It gives food its flavor and has certain antioxidant properties (that’s why, for example, the crust of bread is the healthiest part).

However, with a fast-food meal, you’re consuming too many Maillard-reaction products, and it’s highly possible you’re adding HFCS and contributing to muscle wasting. If you have no alternative to fast food, order a burger wrapped in lettuce or otherwise ban the bun. And never order regular soda. [via]