Ultraprocessed Foods: The Hidden Link to Accelerated Biological Aging

TOPLINE:

Consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) like carbonated drinks, processed meats, and packaged snacks speeds up biological aging. This was assessed using 36 blood-based biomarkers. Factors beyond poor nutrition may also contribute.

METHODOLOGY:

• Previous studies indicate that high UPF diets are linked to early aging markers, including shorter telomeres and cognitive decline. However, the specific effects of UPFs on health remain unclear.
• Researchers analyzed data from 22,495 participants (average age: 55.6 years; 52% women) in the Moli-sani Study in Italy, conducted from 2005 to 2010.
• Participants’ diets were evaluated using a questionnaire covering 188 foods, categorized by processing levels, from minimally processed to UPFs.
• UPF consumption was measured by weight, with participants divided into groups based on UPF percentage in their total intake. The Mediterranean Diet Score assessed diet quality.
• Biological age was determined through a deep neural network using 36 blood biomarkers. Differences between biological and chronological ages were analyzed.

TAKEAWAY:

• On average, participants had a biological age 0.70 years younger than their chronological age.
• Higher UPF intake correlated with accelerated biological aging. The mean biological age difference was -4.1 years for the lowest UPF consumers and 1.6 years for the highest.
• The link between UPF consumption and biological aging was nonlinear. It was slightly stronger in men, but not significantly so.
• Including the Mediterranean Diet Score reduced the association by 9.1%, indicating that poor nutrition explains only a small part of UPFs’ effects.

IN PRACTICE:

The findings suggest that the link between UPFs and biological aging is not mainly due to poor nutrition. Other factors, such as changes in food structure and the presence of new compounds, likely play a significant role.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Simona Esposito from the IRCCS Neuromed research unit in Italy. It was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

LIMITATIONS:

• The study’s cross-sectional design does not clarify cause-and-effect relationships.
• Observational methods limit the ability to confirm causal links between UPF consumption and biological aging.
• The reliance on self-reported dietary data may introduce inaccuracies.
• The study’s focus on a Central-Southern Italy population may affect the applicability of the findings elsewhere.

DISCLOSURES:

The research was funded by the Next Generation European Union project “Age-It.” The Italian Ministry of Health partially supported the analysis. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.