Ultra-processed foods accelerate muscle degeneration

The ultra-processed foods They usually have a longer lifespan and can be very attractive and practical. They contain a combination of sugar, fat, salt and carbohydrates that affect the brain’s reward system, making it difficult to stop eating them.

These foods include breakfast cereals, margarines and spreads, packaged snacks, sausages, soft drinks and energy drinks, sweets and desserts, frozen pizzas, ready meals, mass-produced packaged breads and rolls, all containing synthetic ingredients.

What exactly does the study say?

Researchers of the University of California in San Francisco (United States) have discovered that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods is associated with a greater accumulation of fat in the thigh muscles, regardless of caloric or fat intake, physical activity or sociodemographic factors in a population at risk of knee osteoarthritis.

The results of the study are published in ‘Radiology‘, the magazine of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). A greater amount of intramuscular fat in the thigh could increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

“In recent decades, in parallel with the increase in the prevalence of obesity and knee osteoarthritis, the use of natural ingredients in our diet has progressively decreased and has been replaced by industrially processed foods and beverages, with artificial and chemically altered flavorings and colorings, which are classified as food ultra-processed“, describes the main author of the study, Dr. Zehra Akkayaresearcher and consultant in the Clinical and Translational Musculoskeletal Imaging group at the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco.

The key finding: more fat in the muscle

Dr. Akkaya and her research team set out to evaluate the relationship between the intake of ultra-processed foods and intramuscular fat in the thigh. For the study, researchers analyzed data from 615 people who participated in the Osteoarthritis Initiative and who, according to diagnostic imaging, did not yet have osteoarthritis. The Osteoarthritis Initiative is a nationwide research study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, which helps researchers better understand how to prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis.

“The osteoarthritis is an increasingly common and costly global health problem,” says Dr. Akkaya. “It represents one of the increased non-cancer healthcare costs in the United States and around the world. “It is closely linked to obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle.”

Of the 615 individuals (275 men and 340 women), the average age was 60 years. On average, participants were overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) of 27. About 41% of the foods they consumed during the previous year were ultra-processed.

Researchers found that the more ultra-processed foods people ate, the greater the amount of intramuscular fat they accumulated in their thigh muscles, regardless of caloric intake. On MRI, this appears as a fatty muscle degeneration, where muscle fibers are replaced by streaks of fat.

“In addition to investigating the quality of our modern diet in relation to thigh muscle composition, in this study we used widely available non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), making our approach accessible and practical for routine clinical use and future studies,” says Akkaya. “These MRIs do not require advanced or expensive technology, meaning they can be easily incorporated into standard diagnostic practices.”

Implications for osteoarthritis and public health

By analyzing how the consumption of ultra-processed foods affects muscle composition, this study provides valuable information on the influence of diet on muscle health. “This research highlights the fundamental role of nutrition in muscle quality in the context of knee osteoarthritis,” says Akkaya.

“Combating obesity is a primary goal and a first-line treatment for knee osteoarthritis; however, the findings of this research emphasize that Diet quality deserves more attention, and that weight loss programs should take into account diet quality beyond calorie restriction and exercise.”

Address modifiable lifestyle factors, primarily obesity prevention Through a healthy and balanced diet and adequate exercise, it has been the cornerstone of the initial treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

In addition to other health benefits, reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods may help preserve muscle quality, which in turn could relieve the burden of knee osteoarthritis.

“In recent years, several researchers have demonstrated the harmful effects of ultra-processed foods on various aspects of health, but information on the relationship between these foods and body composition in the context of knee osteoarthritis is limited,” says Akkaya.

“This is the first study to evaluate the impact of ultra-processed foods on thigh muscle composition using MRI. By exploring how the consumption of ultra-processed foods affects muscle composition, this study provides valuable information on the influence of diet on muscle health.”