Carlos Solis
Cutting back on ultra-processed foods and sticking to a balanced diet can improve several key indicators of healthy aging in older adults.
That’s the conclusion from a team at South Dakota State University, whose findings were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
What Did the Study Show?
Manufacturers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) use emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, and preservatives. Common examples include packaged snacks, ready-to-eat meals, and certain processed meats. Researchers have long warned about links between diets high in UPFs and worse health. Now a team at South Dakota State University led by Professor Maul Day investigated how these products affect aging.
The study involved 43 Americans aged 65 and older, many with obesity or metabolic problems such as insulin resistance and high cholesterol. Seven volunteers withdrew before the study ended.
Over eight weeks, participants followed two low-UPF diets. One included lean red meat (pork); the other was vegetarian but allowed milk and eggs. For two weeks between the diet phases, volunteers returned to their usual eating habits.
In both diets, less than 15 percent of calories came from ultra-processed foods — far below the typical American diet, where UPFs often supply more than 50 percent of calories.
The diets were designed so participants did not have to change their lifestyles significantly. Both plans favored minimally processed ingredients and followed U.S. government recommendations for healthy eating.
When participants ate fewer ultra-processed foods, they consumed fewer calories and lost weight, shedding both total and abdominal fat. They also showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, healthier cholesterol levels, lower inflammation markers, and favorable shifts in hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.
These improvements were consistent across both groups, as reported by Science Alert.
Why This Matters
Ultra-processed foods are convenient and widely available, but researchers increasingly link their consumption to obesity and age-related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
As the proportion of older adults on the planet continues to rise, ensuring healthy aging is crucial. Maintaining metabolic health is especially important for older adults because it helps preserve mobility and quality of life.
It remains unclear whether older adults can cut their UPF intake in daily life without professional help. And the specific additives in these products that most negatively affect aging have not yet been fully identified.
Professor Day says new research is needed to answer those questions and to help manufacturers create healthier, convenient food products.
Photo: Unsplash
