A new long-term study has found that eating more ultra-processed foods may not directly lead to frailty in older adults, but it could still have harmful effects on how well your body moves and functions over time.
The study was published in the journal Nutrients and followed more than 2,500 people for about 11 years to see how their diet affected their physical health as they aged.
Ultra-processed foods—also known as UPFs—are foods that go through many industrial processes and often contain added sugars, fats, preservatives, and artificial flavors. These include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, fast food, frozen dinners, sodas, and instant noodles.
While these foods are convenient and often tasty, they are low in nutrients and high in empty calories. Over the years, health experts have warned that diets high in UPFs can increase the risk of weight gain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers.
In this study, researchers focused on people in the Framingham Offspring Cohort, a well-known group that has been studied for decades to understand health and aging.
A total of 2,547 adults were followed for almost 11 years. The average age at the beginning of the study was mid-to-late 50s. The researchers tracked their diets and checked their physical abilities regularly.
At the end of the study, about 9% of the participants had developed frailty. Frailty is a condition often seen in older adults where the body becomes weaker and more vulnerable to illness or injury.
It usually involves weight loss, low energy, slow walking, and weak muscles. Surprisingly, the study found no direct link between eating more ultra-processed foods and becoming frail. In other words, people who ate more UPFs were not more likely to be diagnosed as frail.
However, the researchers did find something else that is still very important. People who ate more ultra-processed foods experienced small but real declines in their physical abilities. For example, their walking speed became a little slower over time.
This was true for both men and women. For men, there was also a noticeable drop in grip strength—the ability to hold or carry things.
Even though these changes were small, they still matter. As we age, even small declines in movement and strength can add up, making it harder to stay independent and active.
Dr. Shivani Sahni, one of the researchers, explained that even though UPFs don’t seem to directly cause frailty, they may slowly affect how well our bodies work. Over time, this could lead to more serious problems with mobility and strength.
Lead author Elsa M. Konieczynski added that limiting processed food and eating more whole, nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins could help protect your physical health as you age. Whole foods are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and they support strong muscles and bones.
The study also highlights the need for more research. Scientists still don’t fully understand how ultra-processed foods might harm the body’s ability to move and stay strong. But this research supports the growing belief that a healthy diet is one of the best ways to stay active and independent in your later years.
In conclusion, while the study didn’t show that ultra-processed foods directly cause frailty, it did show that they may slowly reduce your physical strength and movement over time.
If you want to stay strong, mobile, and independent as you get older, cutting back on highly processed foods and choosing fresh, whole foods might be one of the most important steps you can take.
If you care about health, please read studies about why beetroot juice could help lower blood pressure in older adults, and potassium may be key to lowering blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about rosemary compound that could fight Alzheimer’s disease, and too much of this vitamin B may harm heart health.
The study is published in Nutrients.
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