Recent research has indicated that consuming large amounts of added sugar could hyperactivate the body’s biological clock, potentially accelerating the aging process even if the rest of a person’s diet is healthy. The study, which involved 342 Black and White middle-aged women, found a significant link between high sugar intake and ‘older-looking’ cells.
The study’s findings could provide insight into why some individuals age faster than others despite living the same number of years. Sugar intake, often overlooked, might play a crucial role in this phenomenon. Barbara Laraia, a food scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, highlighted that reducing added sugar by 10 grams daily could effectively reverse the biological clock by 2.4 months if maintained consistently.
As our DNA accumulates various changes over time, including mutations and less permanent epigenetic changes, these modifications can deactivate genes and alter the body’s genetic expression temporarily. These epigenetic changes, collectively referred to as an epigenetic clock, offer a way to estimate a person’s true biological age. By analyzing these changes, scientists can understand how old a cell is and what stresses or damages it has endured.
This study is among the first to explore the specific role of sugar in accelerating the epigenetic clock, providing valuable data from a diverse cohort. The research suggests that added sugar can accelerate aging-related epigenetic changes more rapidly than healthy foods can counteract them, regardless of the presence of other nutrients.
Participants who consumed diets rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants had cells with the ‘youngest’-looking epigenetic age. Those following the Mediterranean diet exhibited the slowest epigenetic aging. However, high sugar intake correlated with older-looking salivary DNA, even in participants consuming nutrient-rich meals.
The study accounted for various factors such as education, lifestyle, and current health status. On average, participants consumed just over 60 grams of sugar daily, with some exceeding 300 grams. For reference, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to about 25 grams for women and 36 grams for men.
While the findings underscore the significant impact of added sugar on cellular aging, the study is based on food records collected over three non-consecutive days and one salivary swab. Previous research suggests that cells’ epigenetic age can vary depending on the time of day DNA is sampled, indicating the need for longer-term studies involving both sexes to draw more definitive conclusions.
Elissa Epel, a behavioral scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, noted that high added sugar levels are linked to worsened metabolic health and early disease onset. “Now we know that accelerated epigenetic aging is underlying this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar intake limits healthy longevity,” Epel explained.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open, providing a crucial step toward understanding the broader implications of added sugar on biological aging and overall health.
Read Now:Delhi Drenched Heavy Rainfall Causes Widespread Waterlogging and Disruption
