Eating ultraprocessed foods linked to fatty muscles

A diet high in ultra-processed foods is associated with higher amounts of fat stored inside thigh muscles, regardless of the number of calories consumed or level of physical activity, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Higher amounts of intramuscular fat in the thigh could also increase the risk for knee osteoarthritis, the authors noted. Active-aging organizations might consider evaluating not only foods offered at mealtimes, but also available snacks.

Foods such as breakfast cereals, margarines/spreads, packaged snacks, hot dogs, soft drinks and energy drinks, candies and desserts, frozen pizzas, ready-to-eat meals, mass-produced packaged breads and buns, and more, include synthesized ingredients and are highly processed. These ultra-processed foods usually have longer shelf lives and are highly appealing, as they are convenient and contain a combination of sugar, fat, salt and carbohydrates that affect the brain's reward system, making it hard to stop eating.

For the study -- the first to assess the relationship between skeletal muscle quality and diet quality -- researchers analyzed data from 666 individuals (average age, 60; two-thirds men) who participated in the US Osteoarthritis Initiative research study but who were not yet affected by osteoarthritis. They noted that earlier research has shown that quantitative and functional decline in thigh muscles is potentially associated with the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis.

The study authors found that the more ultra-processed foods people consumed, the more intramuscular fat they had in their thigh muscles, regardless of energy (caloric) intake. They note that the findings offer a new perspective on how diet quality affects musculoskeletal health.

SOURCE: Radiological Society of North America (December 4, 2024). Akkaya Z et al. Eating high-processed foods impacts muscle quality.

KEYWORDS: Ultraprocessed food, Fat

To download a video of the presentation at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting, click here

To learn more about the Osteoarthritis Initiative, click here