Summary: Diets rich in processed meat, fast food and sugary drinks accelerate organic aging, even in young adults. Researchers have measured organic age using epigenetic clocks, which follow the changes in gene regulation over time. Participants with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have shown slower aging, suggesting that food choices influence the speed with which the body ages.
The study also examined genetic factors, noting that shared genetics, rather than the environment of childhood, played a key role in the food relationship. While other lifestyle factors such as exercise and smoking have also contributed, the diet has remained an independent predictor of the speed of aging.
Key facts
- Diet and aging: The high intake of transformed meat, fast food and sugary drinks is linked to accelerated organic aging.
- Epigenetic clocks: Biological aging has been evaluated using calculation models based on gene regulation.
- Genetic influence: Shared genetics, rather than the environment of childhood, has influenced the impact of the diet on aging.
Source: University of Jyväskylä
Humans do not always age biologically at the same pace as their chronological age. Faster biological aging compared to chronological age has been linked to higher risks of disease and mortality.
According to a recent study, a low diet in vegetables and fruits and rich in red meat, fast food and sweet carrear has been associated with accelerated organic aging even in adulthood.
The rate of biological aging indicates the gap between chronological age and biological age, that is to say if a person is biologically older or younger than his chronological age.
Biological aging can be measured using epigenetic clocks. Epigenetic clocks are calculation models developed through automatic learning methods that predict the biological age based on methyl groups that regulate the expression of genes.
A study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä and the Gerontology Research Center studied if the diet predicts the biological aging rate in young adults. The study participants were twins aged 20 to 25.
According to the results, the regimes characterized by a low consumption of vegetables and fruit and a high consumption of red and transformed meat, fast food and sugary carbonated drinks were associated with faster organic aging.
Conversely, diets rich in vegetables and fruit and weak meat, fast food and sweet soft drinks were associated with slower organic aging.
“Some of the associations observed can also be explained by other lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, smoking and body weight, because healthy and unhealthy lifestyles tend to come together in The same individuals, ”explains the postdoctoral researcher Suvi Ravi.
“However, the diet has maintained a small independent association with aging even when we have taken into account other lifestyle factors.”
Since the study participants were twins, research was able to study genetic influence on the relationship between food and biological age.
The results suggest that a shared genetic context, but not the shared childhood environment of twins, explains the relationship between food and aging in adulthood.
“However, this does not mean that a diet favorable to health would not benefit everyone,” said delighted.
The study is part of the research project “The role of nutrition in the prevention of common diseases”, which is funded by the Juho Vainio Foundation.
This sub-study used data from the FINNTWIN12 study. A total of 826 individual twins and 363 twin pairs participated in the study. The diet was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire, where participants reported the frequency of consumption typical of 55 foods.
The main researcher of this study, SUVI Ravi, is a member of the Genactive Research Group. The genial group studies genetic and lifestyle factors that predict organic aging, health and functional capacity.
The group is led by Elina Sillanpää, associate professor for health promotion.
About this diet and aging research news
Author: Katri Lehtovaara
Source: University of Jyväskylä
Contact: Katri Lehtovaara – University of Jyväskylä
Picture: The image is credited with Neuroscience News
Original search: Open access.
“Suboptimal food models are associated with accelerated biological aging in young adults: a study with twins” by SUVI Ravi et al. Clinical nutrition
Abstract
Sub-optimal diets are associated with accelerated biological aging in young adulthood: a study with twins
Context and objectives
Suboptimal diets increase morbidity and risk of mortality. Epigenetic clocks are algorithms that can assess health and lifespan, even at a young age, before clinical manifestations of diseases. We have studied the association between food models and biological aging in twins for young adults.
Methods
The data was taken from the Finewin12 study based on the population and made up of twins aged 21 to 25 (n = 826). Food intake and drinks were evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. Biological aging has been estimated using the Épigenetic Gampenetic clocks and Dunedinpace. Latent class analysis was used to identify food models.
The association between food models and biological aging has been evaluated using linear regression modeling at an individual level, followed by pairs analyzes inside – to take into account genetic responsibilities and shared family factors.
Results
Six food models have been identified: 1) Fast food, low fruits and vegetables (F&V), 2) based on plants, 3) concerned with health, 4) western with uncommon fish, 5) Western with regular fish and 6) balanced average.
At the individual level, the acceleration of ignition was slower in plants based on plants, concerned with health and balanced compared to high fast food, low F&V and faster in the west with a little fish scheme Common compared to the balanced average, regardless of sex, intake of non -alcoholic energy, smoking and alcohol consumption.
After another adjustment for the participation of BMI and sports, the associations of associations have modestly decreased; However, the difference between the balanced average and high fast food, the low F&V models have remained significant.
The rhythm of aging (DUnedinpace) was slower in the plant -based scheme compared to high fast food, with low F&V and to the west with uncommon fish diagrams after adjustment for sex, consumption of consumption ‘Non -alcoholic energy, smoking and alcohol.
The effect sizes were attenuated and reached a significant level when BMI and sports participation were added to the model. Most associations were reproduced in intra-through analyzes between all twin pairs and among dizygotic twin pairs, but effects tend to be smaller among monozygotic twin pairs.
This suggests that genetics, but not a shared environment, can partially explain the associations observed between food and organic aging.
Conclusion
Diets rich in fast food, transformed red meat and sweet and low drinks into fruits and vegetables are associated with accelerated organic aging in adulthood. The regrouping effect of lifestyle factors and genetic confusion factors must be taken into account when interpreting the results.
