High consumption of ultra-processed foods linked to accelerated biological aging

A study conducted by the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed in Pozzilli, in collaboration with the LUM University of Casamassima, shows that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with the acceleration of biological aging, regardless of the nutritional quality of the diet. The results were published in the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Italian researchers analyzed data on over 22,000 participants from the Moli-sani Study, one of the largest population cohorts in Europe, and used over thirty different blood biomarkers to measure biological age. Unlike chronological age, which depends exclusively on the date of birth, biological age reflects the biological conditions of our body, including organs, tissues and systems, and can differ from its chronological age.

Using a detailed food frequency questionnaire, researchers were able to estimate participant's consumption of ultra-processed foods, that is foods made in part or entirely with substances not routinely used in the kitchen (e.g., hydrolyzed proteins, maltodextrins, hydrogenated fats), that generally contain various additives, such as dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, anticaking agents, flavor enhancers and sweeteners.

Ultra-processed foods include not only packaged snacks or sugary drinks, but also apparently "harmless" products such as mass-produced or packaged bread, fruit yogurt, some breakfast cereals or meat alternatives, to give a few examples.

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

Biological aging is in fact an "internal clock" of our body, which can tick faster or slower than the years marked on the calendar, reflecting the true state of health of the organism.

Simona Esposito, researcher at the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention and first author of the study says, "Our data shows that a high consumption of ultra-processed foods not only has a negative impact on health in general, but could also accelerate aging itself, suggesting a connection that goes beyond the poor nutritional quality of these foods."

"The mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods can be harmful to human health are not yet entirely clear," explains researcher Marialaura Bonaccio, nutritional epidemiologist at the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention-IRCCS Neuromed. "Besides being nutritionally inadequate, being rich in sugars, salt and saturated or trans fats, these foods undergo intense industrial processing that actually alters their food matrix, with the consequent loss of nutrients and fiber.

"This can have important consequences for a series of physiological functions, including glucose metabolism, and the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota. Also, these products are often wrapped in plastic packaging, thus becoming vehicles of substances toxic to the body."

Licia Iacoviello, director of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at the IRCCS Neuromed and full professor of Hygiene at LUM in Casamassima adds, "This study prompts us once again to reevaluate the current dietary recommendations, that should also include warnings on limiting the intake of ultra-processed food in our daily diet. Actually, some nutrient-dense packaged foods can be classified as ultra-processed, and this suggests the need to guide people towards dietary choices that also address the degree of food processing."