Let's hit the telomeres with a hamburger
Consumption of highly processed foods shortens telomeres
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Frequent consumption of snacks, fast food, sugary sodas and other foods that have undergone serious processing leads to obesity, heart problems and depression. Spanish scientists went even further and established a relationship between these products and the length of telomeres, which indicates the biological age of a person. It turned out that the consumption of 3 servings a day of unhealthy food reduces telomeres by more than 80%.
The consumption of food with a high degree of processing (ultra-processed food, UPF) is growing all over the world to the detriment of fresh products. UPF includes oils, fats, sugars, starch and protein isolates, often with flavorings, dyes, emulsifiers and other cosmetic tricks. Processing and ingredients imply convenience of use, high attractiveness for buyers and high income for producers due to cheap raw materials and long shelf life. The disadvantages of such a diet are low nutritional value, unbalanced nutrition, the danger of excessive consumption instead of more useful and healthy foods.
Studies have already identified the association of UPF with serious diseases such as hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, depression, type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer. These diseases often manifest in old age and are associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and cellular aging, which affects the length of telomeres. Despite this, the dependence of telomere length on UPF consumption has been little studied.
Telomeres are sections of chromosomes consisting of a DNA chain and specialized proteins. Each person has 23 pairs of chromosomes that contain our genetic code, and although telomeres do not carry genetic information, they are vital for maintaining the stability and integrity of chromosomes. With age, telomeres shorten with each cell division, some parts of them are lost. Therefore, the length of telomeres is considered an indicator of biological age and may indicate the remaining lifespan.
Researchers from The University of Navarre took saliva samples from 886 volunteers aged 55 and over, and they also provided their "food diaries", EurekAlert reports. The volunteers were divided into four approximately equal groups, depending on the level of UPF intake: less than 2 servings per day, from 2 to 2.5 servings/day, 2.5 – 3 servings/day and more than 3 servings/day.
Those in the latter group had more family histories of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity in their anamnesis. They consumed more fats, saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, sodium, cholesterol, fast food and processed meat. And they ate less protein and carbohydrate foods, fruits, vegetables, olive oil and other healthy foods.
Scientists found that the more a person consumed food with a high degree of processing, the shorter his telomeres were. In the second group, the telomere length, compared with those who ate the least UPF, was 29% less. The third – by 40%, and the fourth – by 82%. In addition, these groups had a higher mortality rate than the first.
Article by Alonso-Pedrero et al. Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of short telomeres in an elderly population of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – VM.
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