Scientists warn of aging effects of 'harmless' breakfast foods

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Maybe you treated yourself to a fry-up with all the ingredients, or maybe you chose a “healthy” fruit yoghurt, cereal or toast. All of these breakfasts may be contributing to our aging process faster, according to a new study.

Ultra-processed foods account for nearly 60 percent of energy intake in the United States, according to a study published in . BMJ. This includes packaged snacks, carbonated drinks, instant noodles, instant foods, and most products that contain a long list of unrecognizable ingredients, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial flavors.

Many studies are connected Ultra-processed foods increase risk of various diseaseswhich includes not only obesity but also heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Current research suggests they may age us faster.

When most people think about aging, they think of the number of years they have lived. This is known as chronological age. But we also have a second age – biological age. This represents a gradual decline in the efficiency and function of our body's cells and tissues. And unlike chronological age, it can be accelerated. slowed down or reversed.

To explore how this biological age is influenced by what we eat, researchers from Italy's Institute of Research, Hospitalization and Medical Sciences (IRCCS), in collaboration with LUM University in Casamassima, , analyzed data from more than 22,000 participants.

This data includes a detailed dietary questionnaire and analysis of more than 30 different molecules in the blood. represents our biological age. What they found was that people who ate more ultra-processed foods were generally older than their chronological age. In other words, eating ultra-processed foods was associated with significantly accelerated biological aging.

“Our data show that high intakes of ultra-processed foods not only have negative effects on overall health, but can also accelerate aging itself, which is more than just the low nutritional value of these foods. “This suggests an association,” said the study's lead author. , Simona Esposito, a researcher at the Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit at Italy's Institute of Hospital and Medical Research Sciences, said in a statement.

However, the exact mechanisms behind these associations are still unclear. “In addition to being nutritionally deficient and high in sugar, salt, and saturated and trans fats, these foods have undergone intense industrial processing that actually alters the food matrix; Nutrients and fiber are being lost,” said co-author Marialaura Bonaccio, a nutritional epidemiologist. The institute said in a statement.

“This can have important effects on a range of physiological functions, including glucose metabolism and the composition and function of the gut microbiome. Also, these products are often wrapped in plastic packaging. , become a vehicle for substances that are toxic to the body.”

It's important to note that ultra-processed foods don't just include the brightly colored sodas and shelf-stable deli meats that we tend to associate with the word. In fact, even seemingly “harmless” products such as packaged bread, fruit yogurt, and many sweetened breakfast cereals have been linked to this accelerated biological aging process, researchers say.

“Some nutritious packaged foods may be classified as ultra-processed, suggesting the need to guide people in making dietary choices that are also responsive to the degree of food processing.” said Licia Iacoviello, author and director of the Epidemiology Research Unit. Prevention Officer at IRCCS Neuromed and Full Professor of Hygiene at LUM in Casamassima said in a statement. “This study prompts us to once again reevaluate our current dietary recommendations.”

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reference

Esposito, S., Gialligi, A., Di Castelnuovo, A., Costanzo, S., Pepe, A., Ruggero, E., De Curtis, A., Persicillo, M., Cerletti, C. , Donati, M. B., De Gaetano, M., Iacoviello, L., De Gaetano, G., Donati, M. B., Ceretti, C., Bonaccio, M., Bonanni, A., … Bonanni, A. (2024). Morisani research has linked the consumption of ultra-processed foods to accelerated biological aging. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.10.006