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 exa.