Ultra-processed Foods May Accelerate Biological Aging
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New Delhi, Dec 10 (NationPress) If you enjoy indulging in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as chips, biscuits, sausages, burgers, soft drinks, and instant noodles, proceed with caution, as these can lead to accelerated biological aging, according to a recent study.
Biological age is a relatively new metric for assessing health, indicating how old an individual appears based on various molecular markers.
An individual leading a healthy lifestyle might have a biological age that is younger than their chronological age, while unhealthy lifestyle choices, particularly a diet rich in UPFs, could hasten biological aging, the researchers from Monash University in Australia reported.
The study, published in the journal Age and Aging, included 16,055 participants from the United States aged 20 to 79. It found that for every 10 percent increase in UPF consumption, the difference between biological and chronological age increased by roughly 2.4 months.
Participants in the highest UPF consumption group (68-100 percent of their total energy intake) were biologically 0.86 years older than those in the lowest consumption group (39 percent or less of their total energy intake).
Dr. Barbara Cardoso, a senior lecturer in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food at the university, emphasized the importance of consuming as many unprocessed and minimally processed foods as possible.
"The implications of our findings are significant, as our predictions indicate that for every 10 percent rise in total energy derived from ultra-processed food, there is nearly a 2 percent increase in mortality risk and a 0.5 percent risk of chronic diseases over two years," she stated.
UPFs are often industrial formulations containing ingredients that are rarely used in home cooking, including hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers.
These products are typically high in salt, sugar, fats, and other unhealthy components, designed for convenience and extended shelf life.
