A new study found that those who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods may be biologically older than their actual age. People who consume large amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) tend to be biologically older, regardless of the nutritional quality of their diet, according to a recent study. Unlike chronological ageing, the number of years someone has lived since birth, biological ageing happens on a cellular level.
Being biologically older could make people susceptible to an increased risk of various diseases like lung disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Italy analysed data from over 22,000 participants in the Moli-sani Study, a large European cohort designed to study risk factors for chronic diseases, to determine the effects of UPFs on the human body’s biological age. "Our data show that a high consumption of ultra-processed foods not only has a negative impact on health in general, but could also accelerate ageing itself, suggesting a connection that goes beyond the poor nutritional quality of these foods," Simona Esposito, first author of the study and researcher at the Institute for Research, Hospitalisation and Health care (IRCCS) Neuromed, said in a statement.
Ultra-processed foods are products made with substances that are rarely used in home cooking and often contain additives like dyes, preservatives, flavour enhancers, and sweeteners. Examples include ice cream, mass-produced bread, certain breakfast cereals.