Research links ultra-processed foods to accelerated biological aging

Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed I.R.C.C.S.Nov 5 2024

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 prestigious journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Italia 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, that 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 the 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., hydrolysed proteins, maltodextrins, hydrogenated fats), that generally contain various additives, such as dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, anticaking agents, flavour enhancers and sweeteners. Ultra-processed foods include not only packaged snacks or sugary drinks, but also apparently 'harmless' products such 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.

"Our data - says Simona Esposito, researcher at the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention and first author of the study - show 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".

"This study - adds Licia Iacoviello, director of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at the IRCCS Neuromed and full professor of Hygiene at LUM in Casamassima - 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 suggest the need of guiding people towards dietary choices that address also the degree of food processing".

The Moli-sani study

Started in March 2005, it involves about 25,000 citizens living in the Molise region. The aim is to learn about environmental and genetic factors underlying cardiovascular disease, cancer and degenerative pathologies. The Moli-sani Study, now based in the I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, has transformed an entire Italian region in a large research lab.