July 30, 2024
Avoid Added Sugars to Keep Cells Young, Study Finds
Added sugars can prematurely age your cells, warns a new study. Researchers found that each gram of added sugar is linked to an increase in cellular age, even if the rest of the diet is healthy.
Conversely, a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients can help maintain a younger biological age at the cellular level, according to the study's results.
"The better a person eats, the younger their cells appear," concluded the study.
"We knew high levels of added sugars are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor," said Elissa Epel, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). "Now we know that accelerated epigenetic aging underlies this relationship, likely limiting healthy longevity," Epel added in a UCSF news release.
The study analyzed food records of 342 Northern California women with an average age of 39. The research team compared their diets with their "epigenetic clock," using a saliva test to estimate biological age relative to calendar age.
On average, participants consumed 61 grams of added sugar daily, with individual intake ranging from nearly 3 grams to 316 grams. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 50 grams of added sugar per day. A bar of milk chocolate has about 25 grams, and a 12-ounce can of cola about 39 grams.
The researchers found that consuming foods with added sugar was linked to accelerated biological aging, even if the overall diet was healthy.
"Given that epigenetic patterns appear reversible, eliminating 10 grams of added sugar per day?might turn back the biological clock by 2.4 months if sustained over time," said Barbara Laraia, a UC Berkeley professor of food, nutrition, and population health.
"Focusing on nutrient-dense foods low in added sugars could motivate people to eat well for longevity," Laraia added.
A Mediterranean-style eating pattern showed the strongest link with younger cellular age. This diet emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, olive oil, fish, seafood, and limited red meat, processed foods, and sugary sweets.
The study was published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
"The diets we examined align with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health," said lead researcher Dorothy Chiu, a postdoctoral scholar at UCSF's Osher Center for Integrative Health. "It's empowering to see how these recommendations may promote a younger cellular age relative to chronological age."