A diet heavy in highly processed foods is associated with higher amounts of fat stored inside thigh muscles, regardless of the amount of calories consumed or level of physical activity, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Higher amounts of intramuscular fat in the thigh could increase a person’s risk for knee osteoarthritis.
The use of natural and minimally processed ingredients in many modern diets has decreased, in favor of ingredients that have been industrially processed, artificially flavored, colored or chemically altered. 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 processed foods usually have longer shelf lives and are appealing for their convenience and combination of sugar, fat, salt and carbohydrates, which affects the brain’s reward system, making it hard to stop eating.
Processed food study research methodology
Researchers analyzed data from 666 individuals, age 60 on average, who participated in the nationwide Osteoarthritis Initiative study but not yet affected by osteoarthritis. The 455 men and 211 women were overweight with an average body mass index (BMI) of 27. Approximately 40% of the foods they had eaten in the past year were ultra-processed.
The researchers found that the more highly processed foods people consumed, the more intramuscular fat they had in their thigh muscles, regardless of energy (caloric) intake, BMI, sociodemographic factors or physical activity levels.
These results reveal potential avenues for healthcare providers to make lifestyle modification and disease management recommendations to their patients who regularly consume highly processed foods.
