Ultra-processed foods — however delicious we may find them — have already been linked to a myriad of health problems, from stroke to cancer to dementia. Here’s a new one.
Eating a lot of highly processed foods is now associated with a “significant acceleration” of biological aging — a measure of age based on the condition of your body’s cells rather than the length of time you’ve been alive. Researchers say it reflects a person’s “true state of health.”
That’s the conclusion of a study published in the scientific journal of the American Society for Nutrition for which researchers reviewed dietary data and blood tests on 22,000 people.
Researchers defined ultra-processed foods as foods that are entirely or partially made with substances that you would not typically use in a home kitchen (such as hydrolysed proteins, maltodextrins and hydrogenated fats) and that usually contain additives (like dyes, preservatives, anti-caking agents, flavor enhancers and sweeteners).
Examples include:
- Packaged snacks
- Sugary drinks
- Mass-produced or packaged bread
- Fruit yogurt
- Some breakfast cereals
- Some meat alternatives
Of course, ultra-processed foods are bad for health due to their lack of nutrients and high levels of salt, sugar and fats. However, the way these foods seem to accelerate aging indicates that poor nutrition isn’t the only issue with them, researchers say.
Ultra-processed foods can affect bodily functions like glucose metabolism and the gut microbiota — meaning the trillions of microorganisms that line our gastrointestinal tract.
Researchers also note that these foods are often kept in plastic wrappings for prolonged periods of time. That means toxic materials may leach into these foods and then enter the body when consumed.
Still, researchers say the reasons why ultra-processed foods correlate with negative health effects aren’t entirely clear, but poor nutritional value only makes up a fraction of the issue.
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