Ultra-processed foods linked to accelerated aging, study finds

Member Exclusive Content

Sign up to be a member to access this content.

Join now!

Already a member? Login

A healthy diet can help us age well. A diet rich in heavily processed foods? Not so much. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed a concerning connection between consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and signs of accelerated biological aging. Scientists at Italy’s IRCCS Neuromed Mediterranean Neurological Institute discovered that among over 22,000 adults in Italy’s Molise region who participated in the Moli-sani Study, a long-term health study in Europe, those who consume higher amounts of UPFs including processed meats, cakes and pastries, and fruit drinks showed signs of accelerated biological aging compared to those who ate fewer UPFs. To measure rates of biological aging, the researchers used a sophisticated artificial intelligence approach that analyzed 36 different blood biomarkers, including indicators of inflammation, metabolism, and organ function. This created a “biological age” score that could be compared to participants’ actual age. Participants whose diets included the highest share of ultra-processed foods—more than 14% of their total diet—showed a biological aging acceleration of about four months compared to those who ate fewer of these foods. While a four-month acceleration in biological aging may not seem significant, it can have a substantial cumulative effect over years and decades, and could increase the predisposition to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. The investigators believe that factors beyond poor nutrition content, such as altered food matrices and higher exposure to additives, might contribute to the aging effect.  It’s not necessary to ditch these foods and drinks entirely, but it’s important to be aware of more ways that they could be undermining our health.