The Impact of Diet on Aging: A Closer Look at Ultra Processed Foods

Natalie Shanahan

January 1, 2025
6 min read

The Impact of Diet on Aging: A Closer Look at Ultra Processed Foods

Since the early 1900s, the goal of food and farming industries was to feed as many people as possible as cheaply as possible. A noble cause to end hunger quickly turned into a large-scale money-maker. By the 1980s, cheap processed food was ubiquitous, hunger was down in the Western world, and food companies were flourishing. However, things took a dark turn with the rise of ultra-processed foods. Obesity was up, type 2 diabetes was common, and there was a growing number of people suffering from heart disease.

These industrially produced foods, now known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), are now dietary staples in most Western societies. The UK consumes more UPFs than the rest of Europe, with 55 per cent of UK adults’ daily calories coming from ultra-processed foods, mostly in the form of baked goods (cakes and biscuits), confectionery, processed meats, and soft drinks—and that figure is growing. In the US, consumption exceeds ours, with ultra-processed food and drinks making up 57 per cent of their daily calories.

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The term “ultra-processed food” (UPF) was coined in 2009 by the Brazilian nutrition and health researcher Carlos Monteiro. Monteiro developed the NOVA food classification system, which classifies food into four categories that are distinguished by the extent and purpose of food processing:

NOVA describes UPFs as ‘industrial formulations’ of food products, typically mass-produced, that contain few ‘natural’ ingredients. Generally, snacks, ready meals, and fast food fall into this category.

Recently, ultra-processed foods have become a hot topic in the media. A new study from Monash University suggests that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods may accelerate the biological ageing process. Published in the journal Age and Ageing, the study showed an association between increased consumption of UPFs and biological ageing. For every 10 per cent increase in UPF consumption, the gap between biological and chronological age rose by 2.4 months.

Dr Barbara Cardoso, from Monash University’s Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and the Monash Victorian Heart Institute, emphasised the necessity of prioritising unprocessed and minimally processed foods in our diets.

“The significance of our findings is tremendous, as our predictions show that for every 10 per cent increase in ultra-processed food consumption, there is a nearly two per cent increased risk of mortality and a 0.5 per cent risk of incident chronic disease over two years.”

This study supports previous research on UPFs and their effect on markers of ageing, such as telomere length—a shorter telomere length is a sign of cell ageing. Associations were also found with levels of frailty, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Dr Barbara Cardoso explains:

“Assuming a standard diet of 2,000 calories (8,500 kilojoules) per day, adding an extra 200 calories of ultra-processed food, which roughly equals an 80-gram serving of chicken bites or a small chocolate bar, could lead to the biological ageing process advancing by more than two months compared to chronological ageing.”

“Our findings show that reducing ultra-processed foods in the diet may help slow the biological ageing trajectory, bringing another reason to target ultra-processed foods when considering strategies to promote healthy ageing.”

In Italy, the Moli-sani cohort study aims to evaluate various environmental, genetic, and bio-molecular risk factors linked to chronic diseases. In particular, they looked at those associated with ageing, such as cancer, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. They recently published some of their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. These show that a diet rich in UPFs is associated with an acceleration of biological ageing. UPFs, often containing a mix of calorie-dense ingredients and additives aimed at enhancing taste, have been linked to higher mortality rates and non-communicable diseases. These foods typically lack essential nutrients, being high in sugars and unhealthy fats while low in fibre, minerals, and vitamins. However, it is thought that this lack of nutrients in UPFs plays only a small role in this association, and it is the non-nutrient characteristics of these foods that play a more significant part.

Research among older Spaniards found that high UPF intake correlated with shorter telomere length—a marker of biological age. Similarly, older adults in various populations have demonstrated poorer cognitive performance associated with increased UPF consumption. As we uncover more about diet’s role in ageing, it’s clear that what we eat significantly shapes our longevity and health.

Humans have evolved for tens of thousands of years on a diet of real, whole food. Many UPF ingredients are synthetically produced to extend shelf life, make the food more palatable, or enhance colour or texture. The human body is not fully equipped to digest or metabolise these chemicals. For a long time, it was thought that these food additives were benign and just passed through the body. However, science is now showing that they have a myriad of health effects. So far, it has been noted that they can alter our microbiome, upset the balance of appetite regulation, impact our mental health, and contribute to the premature ageing of our cells. Being aware of the importance of diet on our health and choosing real food for the majority of our meals will go a long way in future-proofing our health. We don’t have to cut these foods out altogether—rather, enjoy them in moderation and make nutritious non-UPF foods the main ingredients in each meal.

All the research contributes to the ongoing discussion about the hazards of UPFs, reinforcing the need for careful consideration of our dietary choices but also for government policymakers when deciding on public health measures. The food industry must also play its part and take positive action in responsibly designing its products.

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