Research results that telomeres become shorter for people who eat a lot of super processed foods



Eating 'super-processed foods' such as frozen and fast foods accelerates human aging at the chromosomal level, was announced at the

European and International Congress on Obesity on Obesity .. Studies have shown that people who eat ultra-processed foods have significantly shorter telomeres at the ends of their chromosomes than those who do not.

Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of short telomeres in an elderly population of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/111/6/1259/5824715



'Ultra-Processed' Junk Food Linked to Advanced Ageing at Cellular Level, Study Finds
https://www.sciencealert.com/study-links-ultra-processed-junk-food-to-age-marker-in-chromosomes

There are 23 pairs of chromosomes in human cells, which are responsible for the expression and transmission of genetic information. Although the telomeres at the ends of chromosomes do not contain genetic information, they serve to maintain the physical and genetic stability of the chromosomes and maintain the DNA necessary for all cells in the body to function. Is essential for. As telomeres are partially lost at each cell division, telomeres naturally shorten as humans grow older. Therefore, telomere length has long been recognized as an indicator of biological age.

Therefore, a research team led by Professors Maria Vestrastrolo and Professor Amelia Marti of the University of Navarra, Spain, conducted a new study on the relationship between regular intake of super-processed foods such as junk food and telomere length. going.



'Super processed food' refers to industrially produced foods that are composed of a mixture of oil, fat, sugar, starch, protein, etc., and include additives such as artificial flavors and colors, emulsifiers, and preservatives. Previous studies have also shown that there is a strong correlation between ultra-processed foods and hypertension, obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

The research team analyzed health data collected from 886 subjects aged 57 to 91 who participated in a long-term study called the SUN project in Spain from 1999 to 2018. The SUN project data used in the analysis included not only DNA data, but also data from follow-up surveys on diet every two years.

A total of 886 people, 645 men and 241 women, were surveyed, and subjects were selected as 'the group consuming the most processed food (A)' and 'processed' according to the consumption of the processed food. There are four groups: a group that consumes relatively large amounts of food (B), a group that relatively does not consume super-processed food (C), and a group that hardly consumes super-processed food (D). I have classified. The study uses a test called

real-time PCR (qPCR) to measure telomere length from saliva samples from subjects.



Analysis of the survey results revealed that Group A, who consumes a lot of super-processed foods, often suffers from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and abnormal blood fat levels. People in Group A also consumed less healthy food such as fiber, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and nuts than other groups.

Furthermore, comparing group D, which has the lowest intake of ultra-processed food, with other groups, 29% of group C, 40% of group B, and 82% of group A increased the possibility of shortening telomere. It turned out that



It should be noted that this study is only the result of a survey of elderly Spanish people.

in Science,   Junk Food, Posted by logu_ii