Diet of takeaways and processed food causes cells to age faster

PROCESSED food ages the body and increases the risk of a host of diseases, Spanish research suggests.

High intake of unhealthy ready meals and other convenience snacks was also associated with a greater risk of depression, high blood pressure, and all cause mortality. The study, involving 900 men and women with an average age of 68, compared their diets with sections of their telomeres, caps at the end of each strand of DNA which are a marker of biological age.

Those who ate more convenience foods, and less fresh fare, were twice as likely to have short telomeres, researchers at the University of Navarra found.

The findings, presented at the online International Conference on Obesity, found that as consumption of “ultra processed” foods increased, the likelihood of having shortened telomeres rose dramatically.

Overall, telomeres were twice as likely to be short in people who had at least three portions a day of foods which were classed as ultra processed.

Researchers said the findings suggested that the modern diet was likely to be causing the cells to age faster.

While telomeres do not contain genetic information, they are vital for preserving the stability and integrity of chromosomes. The authors concluded: “In this cross-sectional study of elderly Spanish subjects we showed a robust strong association between ultra-processed food consumption and telomere length.”

Separate research presented at the same conference found that those who ate less than a third of their calories after 6pm were most likely to be slim, and to have the healthiest diets.

Those who consumed more than 48 per cent of their daily calories after 6pm were likely to be fattest.

They were also more likely to consume more fatty foods and alcohol, according to researchers at Ulster University.