A large-scale Italian study has revealed concerning news about ultra-processed foods (UPFs): they may accelerate how quickly our bodies age at a biological level. The research on over 22,000 adults in Italy’s Moli-sani Study suggests that what we eat doesn’t just affect our health today – it could actually influence how quickly we age.
While we typically think of age as simply the number of years we’ve been alive, scientists increasingly focus on “biological age” – how old our bodies appear to be based on various health markers. Depending on lifestyle, diet, and environment, this biological age can be higher or lower than our chronological age.
The study found that people who consumed more ultra-processed foods – think packaged snacks, sugary beverages, and ready-to-eat meals – showed signs of accelerated biological aging compared to those who ate less of these foods. Specifically, those who got more than 14% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods showed measurable signs of accelerated aging in their blood markers.
These findings are particularly interesting because the aging effect wasn’t just due to the poor nutritional value of ultra-processed foods. While these foods are typically high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats while low in fiber and nutrients, the researchers found that something about the processing appears to influence aging. The study suggests that chemical additives, artificial ingredients, or other aspects of food processing might independently affect how our bodies age.
The Mediterranean diet, traditionally low in ultra-processed foods and high in fresh ingredients, showed protective effects against this accelerated aging. This adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of choosing minimally processed foods over their highly processed alternatives.
The message for those concerned about healthy aging is clear: limiting ultra-processed foods and choosing fresh, minimally processed alternatives could help maintain a younger biological age. This doesn’t mean never eating processed foods, but rather being mindful of how much of our diet they comprise.
This research joins a growing number of studies highlighting the potential risks of ultra-processed foods. It adds biological aging to a list that already includes increased risks of various health conditions. It is another compelling reason to reconsider our relationship with these convenient but potentially harmful food products.
