Study: Eating processed food makes you age quickly

A new study has found a correlation between processed food and ageing. A diet rich in ultra-processed foods is loaded with sugar, oil, starches and fats, which can make you age more quickly. Researchers have found that eating three or more servings of processed foods daily is linked with shorter telomeres, chromosome structure that marks your biological age.

In contrast to this, a diet rich in whole foods, fruits and vegetables is linked with longer telomeres and lower risk of chronic illnesses. Highly processed foods are loaded with sugar, salt, fat and starch and thus can lead to premature ageing, says the study presented at the 2020 European and International Obesity Congress.

Researchers from the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain studied the DNA samples from 886 people who were aged 20 and above. Average participants were 67 years old. People who consumed two-three servings of processed foods daily showed 29 - 40 per cent higher risk of short telomeres than those who ate fewer than two servings of processed foods.

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