Is your frozen pizza aging you? Troubling consequences of eating junk food discovered

POZZILLI, Italy — That convenient frozen pizza or packaged snack might be doing more than just expanding your waistline – it could actually be accelerating how quickly your body ages at a biological level, according to fascinating new research from Italy.

In what may be the first study of its kind, scientists have discovered that people who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) show signs of accelerated biological aging compared to those who eat fewer of these heavily manufactured food products. The alarming findings from researchers at the IRCCS Neuromed Mediterranean Neurological Institute come from the Moli-sani Study, which examined over 22,000 adults in Italy’s Molise region.

But what exactly counts as “ultra-processed“? We’re not talking about basic processed foods like canned vegetables or cheese. UPFs are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories. Think: packaged snacks, carbonated drinks, reconstituted meat products, and instant noodles. These foods are designed to be hyper-palatable – industry speak for “really hard to stop eating” – and often contain additives, artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives you wouldn’t find in your home kitchen.

How ultra-processed foods impact biological age

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reports that participants whose diets contained the highest proportion of UPFs (more than 14% of total food consumed by weight) showed biological aging acceleration of about four months compared to those who ate the least amount of UPFs. This might not sound like much, but consider the cumulative effect over years or decades of consuming these foods.

The researchers used a sophisticated approach to measure biological aging, which differs from chronological aging (the number of birthdays you’ve had). Using artificial intelligence and deep neural networks, they analyzed 36 different biomarkers in participants’ blood, including indicators of inflammation, metabolism, and organ function. This gave them a “biological age” score that could be compared to each person’s actual chronological age.

In the study population, processed meat products made up the largest portion of UPF consumption at 17.6%, followed by cakes and pastries at 14.2%, and fruit drinks at 10.9%. Participants who consumed more UPFs tended to be younger, more educated, and more likely to live in urban areas. Interestingly, they were also less physically active and had fewer chronic diseases at the time of the study – though the researchers note this could be due to their younger age.

Dangerous consequences from diet

What makes this study particularly intriguing is that the relationship between ultra-processed foods and accelerated aging remained even after accounting for the overall nutritional quality of participants’ diets. In other words, it’s not just about these foods being high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats – there appears to be something about the processing itself that impacts how our bodies age.

The research team suggests several potential mechanisms for this effect. UPFs often contain compounds formed during high-temperature processing, like acrylamide, which can increase oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. The packaging of these foods may also play a role, as chemicals from plastic packaging can leach into the food and potentially disrupt normal bodily functions.

Moreover, the very structure of ultra-processed foods – what scientists call the “food matrix” – has been altered so significantly that it may affect how our bodies process and utilize nutrients. Think of it as the difference between eating an apple and consuming apple-flavored processed snacks made with concentrated apple derivatives.

“The mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods can be harmful to human health are not yet entirely clear,” says study co-author Marialaura Bonaccio, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at IRCCS Neuromed, in a statement. “Besides being nutritionally inadequate, being rich in sugars, salt and saturated or trans fats, these foods undergo intense industrial processing that actually alters their food matrix, with the consequent loss of nutrients and fiber. This can have important consequences for a series of physiological functions, including glucose metabolism, and the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota. Also, these products are often wrapped in plastic packaging, thus becoming vehicles of substances toxic to the body.”

Call for greater awareness

The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking UPF consumption to various health concerns, from cognitive decline to increased risk of various diseases. This study is particularly notable because it suggests these foods might be fundamentally altering how our bodies age at a biological level.

The research doesn’t suggest you need to completely eliminate ultra-processed foods from your diet – that would be impractical for most people in today’s world. However, it does provide one more compelling reason to limit their consumption and opt for less processed alternatives when possible.

“This study prompts us once again to reevaluate the current dietary recommendations that should also include warnings on limiting the intake of ultra-processed food in our daily diet,” says Licia Iacoviello, director of the Research Unit of Epidemiology and Prevention at the IRCCS Neuromed. “Actually, some nutrient-dense packaged foods can be classified as ultra-processed, and this suggest the need of guiding people towards dietary choices that address also the degree of food processing.”

In a delicious twist of irony, this study coming from Italy – a country renowned for its traditional, minimally processed cuisine – serves as a reminder that sometimes the old ways of eating might be the best recipe for aging gracefully.