High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with accelerated biological aging, according to research.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with accelerated biological aging, regardless of the nutritional value of the diet, according to a new study published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study was carried out by the Epidemiology and Prevention Unit of the IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli in collaboration with the LUM University of Casamassima, both in Italy.

Italian researchers analyzed data from more than 22,000 participants in the Molisani Study, one of the largest populations in Europe, and used more than thirty different blood biomarkers to measure biological age.

Unlike chronological age, which depends solely on the date of birth, biological age reflects the biological states of the body, including organs, tissues and systems, and may differ from chronological age.

Using a detailed food frequency questionnaire, the researchers were able to assess consumption of ultra-processed foods, that is, foods prepared in whole or in part with substances not typically used in cooking (eg, hydrolyzed proteins, maltodextrins). , hydrogenated fats), which usually contain various additives such as coloring agents, preservatives, antioxidants, anti-caking agents, flavor enhancers and sweeteners.

Ultra-processed foods include not only packaged snacks or sugary drinks, but also seemingly harmless foods such as commercial or packaged bread, fruit yogurt, some breakfast cereals or meat substitutes, for example.

The study found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a significant acceleration of biological aging in participants. Essentially, people turned out to be biologically older than their actual chronological age.

Biological aging is essentially the body’s internal clock, which can run faster or slower than the years marked on the calendar, reflecting the body’s true state of health.

NOT JUST POOR FOOD QUALITY

“Our data shows that high consumption of ultra-processed foods not only has a negative impact on overall health, but may also accelerate aging itself, suggesting that the link goes beyond the poor nutritional quality of these foods,” said a researcher from the Epidemiology Center. and Prevention Research Unit and first author of the study Simone Esposito.

“The mechanisms by which ultra-processed foods may be harmful to human health are still not entirely clear. In addition to being nutritionally inadequate, high in sugars, salt and saturated or trans fats, these foods are subject to intense industrial processing that actually changes their food matrix with subsequent loss of nutrients and fiber,” said the nutritional epidemiologist in the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention Research. IRCCS Neuromed Marialaura Bonaccio.

According to the expert, all this “may have important consequences for a number of physiological functions, such as glucose metabolism, and the composition and functionality of the intestinal microbiota. In addition, these products are usually wrapped in plastic packaging, thus becoming carriers of toxic substances for the body.”

According to the researchers, this study calls for “a re-evaluation of current dietary recommendations, which should also include warnings to limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods in our daily diet.”

“In fact, some nutrient-dense packaged foods can be classified as ultra-processed, suggesting a need to guide people toward nutritional options that also take into account how processed the food is,” concluded the director of nutrition. Epidemiological and preventive research at IRCCS Neuromed and professor of hygiene at LUM Casamassima Licia Iacoviello.