Aging: What role might ultra-processed foods play?

A recent study involving over 22,000 Italian adults suggests that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods is associated with faster biological aging.

Biological aging gives a more accurate picture of our body’s health than just looking at age in years and can be affected by lifestyle choices, such as diet.

The poor nutrition content of ultra-processed foods was only weakly responsible for this link, implying that other aspects of these foods might accelerate our biological aging.

Researchers propose that “nonnutrient characteristics” may be partly to blame, including:

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, contribute to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods negatively affect our health and longevity.

Researchers analyzed data from the Moli-sani Study, a large population-based study conducted from 2005 to 2010 in a region in southern Italy.

The Moli-sani study examined people’s diets using a detailed food frequency questionnaire with 188 food items.

Ultra-processed foods were identified using the Nova classification and measured as a percentage of the total food consumed daily, with consumption broken down into five levels from high to low.

To assess diet quality, researchers used a Mediterranean Diet Score, ranging from 0 to 9 points.

The score was based on eating more traditional Mediterranean diet foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fish, while eating less meat and dairy, compared to the median level in the study group.

In this analysis, researchers used a machine-learning program that looked at 36 different blood biomarkers to determine participants’ biological age.

Some of these blood markers included:

By comparing biological age to actual age, they aimed to estimate how fast individuals might be aging biologically.

They then used statistical methods to analyze this age difference, considering known risk factors.

The final sample analyzed included 11,726 women (52%) and 10,769 men (48%)

Their average chronological age of 55.6 years, while their average biological age was 54.9 years. So, the age difference (biological age minus chronological age) was about 0.70 years.

Participants reported that ultra-processed foods made up an average 10.7% of their diet by weight, contributing to 18.2% of their total calorie intake.

In this group of Italians, some of the foods contributing most to ultra-processed food intake were:

Compared to those who consumed the least amount of ultra-processed foods, those who consumed the most were generally younger, more educated, less active, and more urban, and they tended to be free from chronic diseases.

However, this does not imply that eating more ultra-processed foods is healthier.

Instead, it highlights that as people age and encounter health challenges from poor diet and lack of exercise, they often modify their lifestyle to maintain their health or fight disease.

In analyses adjusted for multiple variables, researchers found that the highest consumption of ultra-processed food (top fifth) was linked to faster biological aging, increasing biological age by an average of 0.34 years compared to the lowest consumption.

Overall, a diet with more than 14% of total calories from ultra-processed foods was linked to accelerated biological aging, according to a biological clock using 36 blood biomarkers.

This association was slightly reduced when the Mediterean diet score was included in the model.

This study cannot establish cause and effect because of its one-time snapshot and observational design. Additionally, the self-reported diet information and the food questionnaire’s limits in measuring ultra-processed food consumption may lead to biased results.

The results also may not be generalizable to other populations with different dietary patterns and lifestyles.

Still, this study aligns with previous research and adds to the existing body of evidence highlighting the potential negative impact of ultra-processed food consumption on health and aging.

Ultra-processed foods include notoriously less healthful foods, like sugary drinks and fast food, as well as commercially produced products like fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt and packaged bread.

These foods generally have poor nutritional value. They tend to be high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives while lacking the fiber, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds found in whole or minimally processed foods.

According to the study authors, these ultra-processed foods have non-nutrient characteristics that may harm human health beyond their low nutritional content.

“The intense processing of ultra-processed foods disrupts the natural structure, or matrix, of whole foods,” explained Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health Sciences, not involved in the study, in conversation with Medical News Today.

Expanding on this point, Alyssa Simpson, RDN, CGN, CLT, a digestive health dietitian in Phoenix, AZ, also not involved in the study, discussed with MNT how the breakdown of the food matrix affects our absorption of foods.

She explained that:

“Deconstructing the food matrix in ultra-processed foods disrupts natural nutrient and fiber structures, reducing beneficial microbial diversity and favoring the growth of pathogenic [bad] bacteria in the gut. This disruption can impair glucose tolerance [the body’s ability to process sugars effectively] by promoting rapid carbohydrate digestion, which leads to blood sugar spikes and inflammation. Furthermore, altered gut microbiota and inflammatory responses can accelerate cellular aging processes, increasing susceptibility to age-related diseases.”

Holland also noted that “food processing at high temperatures produces harmful compounds, such as acrylamide, advanced glycation end products, and trans fats, which can potentially accelerate aging.”

“These compounds increase oxidative stress and inflammation, damaging cellular structures and impairing metabolic functions,” he explained.

He pointed out that “this constant low-grade inflammation and cellular stress, driven by these toxic byproducts, accelerates the internal aging clock, independently of traditional dietary nutrients.”

In addition, Holland highlighted how the materials in contact with our food may also influence biological aging:

“Packaging materials often contain endocrine disruptors, such as bisphenols and phthalates, which can migrate into food, especially during prolonged storage of ultra-processed items. These compounds can potentially interfere with hormone regulation, promote oxidative stress, and disrupt metabolic processes. Over time, these disruptions can weaken cellular function, lead to insulin resistance, and promote inflammation, all of which are going to be linked to accelerated aging and age-related diseases, including metabolic and cardiovascular conditions.”

Simspon expressed that “among ultra-processed foods, sugary beverages, processed meats, and packaged snacks (like chips and pastries) are major culprits linked to accelerated aging.”

“These foods are high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives, all of which promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruptions in gut microbiota,” she said.

To reduce the harmful effects of ultra-processed foods, she offered some tips to consider:

Additionally, to help counteract the effects of occasional ultra-processed food consumption, Simpson recommends eating:

“These foods support gut health, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce inflammation, helping to offset cellular stress and oxidative damage,” she stated.

Individuals facing high stress, depression, or resource limitations may rely on ultra-processed foods for affordability, convenience, or emotional coping, Simpson noted.

She said that “these individuals could experience accelerated aging not just from diet but also due to lifestyle factors like chronic stress, reduced healthcare access, and limited social support.”

“Promoting healthy aging may require a holistic approach that addresses both diet quality and the broader life factors influencing food choices,” she concluded.