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People who eat a lot of industrially processed junk food are more likely to show an aging-related change in their chromosomes, according to research presented Tuesday at an online medical conference.
Three or more servings of so-called “ultra-processed foods” per day doubled the chances that strands of DNA and proteins called telomeres, which are found at the end of chromosomes, will be shorter compared to people who rarely eat such food, scientists reported at the European and International Conference on Obesity.
Short telomeres are a marker of biological aging at the cellular level, and the study suggests that diet is a factor that causes cells to age faster.
While the correlation is strong, however, the causal relationship between eating highly processed foods and decreased telomeres remains speculative, the authors cautioned.
Each human cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes that contain our genetic code.
Telomeres do not contain genetic information, but they are vital to preserving the stability and integrity of chromosomes and, by extension, the DNA that all cells in our body depend on to function.
As we age, our telomeres naturally shorten because every time a cell divides, part of the telomere is lost.
That reduction in length has long been recognized as a marker of biological age.
Scientists led by Professors Maria Bes-Rastrollo and Amelia Marti, both from the University of Navarra in Spain, wanted to explore a putative connection between regular consumption of highly processed junk food and telomere reduction.
Not real food
Previous studies had pointed to a possible link with sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats and other foods loaded with saturated fat and sugar, but the findings were inconclusive.
Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured substances made up of a mixture of oils, fats, sugars, starch, and proteins that contain little or no whole or natural foods.
They often include artificial flavorings, colors, emulsifiers, preservatives, and other additives that increase shelf life and profit margins.
However, these same properties also mean that such foods are nutritionally poor compared to less processed alternatives, the researchers said.
Previous studies have shown a strong correlation between ultra-processed foods and hypertension, obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
These conditions are often age-related to the extent that they are related to oxidative stress and inflammation that are known to influence telomere length.
Marti and her colleagues analyzed the health data of nearly 900 people 55 and older who provided DNA samples in 2008 and provided detailed data on their eating habits every two years thereafter.
The 645 men and 241 women were divided equally into four groups, depending on their consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Those in the high-intake group were more likely to have a family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and abnormal blood fats.
That also consumed fewer foods associated with the Mediterranean diet: fiber, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Compared to the group that ate the least amount of ultra-processed foods, the other three were more likely (29, 40, and 82 percent, respectively) to have shorter telomeres.
The findings were published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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