Munching on ultra-processed food could be a major contributor to bulging thighs, according to new research from the University of California. The study involved 666 individuals and suggested a potential link between high UPF diets and muscle quality in our bodies.
Researchers emphasized that excess fat in thigh muscles may heighten the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knee. Study’s author Zehra Akkaya highlighted the uniqueness of the research, stating: “The novelty of this study is that it investigates the impact of diet quality, specifically the role of ultra-processed foods in relation to intramuscular fat in the thigh muscles assessed by MRI.”
She further explained the significance of their findings: “This is the first imaging study looking into the relationship between MRI-based skeletal muscle quality and quality of diet. In an adult population at risk for but without knee or hip osteoarthritis, consuming ultra-processed foods is linked to increased fat within the thigh muscles. These findings held true regardless of dietary energy content, body mass index, sociodemographic factors or physical activity levels.”
Medical experts categorize two types of fat that affect our bodies – subcutaneous and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is located just beneath the skin, while visceral fat lurks deeper, enveloping internal organs. Medical News Today notes that as people age, it’s more common for fat to accumulate around the stomach area, reports Surrey Live.
As people grow older, hormone levels fluctuate and weight gain is common, with a noticeable shift in fat distribution leading to more fat around the trunk and less in the limbs. Dr Zehra isn’t the only healthcare professional raising concerns about the adverse effects of diets rich in ultra-processed food stuffs (UPFS).
A study released this year in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition linked UPFS to faster ageing processes. The study’s co-author, Marialaura Bonaccio, issued a stark warning: “The mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods can be harmful to human health are not yet entirely clear.
“Besides being nutritionally inadequate, being rich in sugars, salt and saturated or trans fats, these foods undergo intense industrial processing that actually alters their food matrix, with the consequent loss of nutrients and fibre.”
She added, “This can have important consequences for a series of physiological functions, including glucose metabolism, and the composition and functionality of the gut microbiota. Also, these products are often wrapped in plastic packaging, thus becoming vehicles of substances toxic to the body.”
There is an increasing recognition of the potential harms ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may have on our health, leading to serious long-term consequences, yet experts are keen to avoid causing undue alarm. In the wake of a British Medical Journal report suggesting that UPFs might raise the risk of up to 32 severe health conditions, one health expert has highlighted that these foods can still be enjoyed in moderation.
Professor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading, Gunter Kuhnle, challenged the findings in the BMJ study during an interview with the Daily Express, pointing out a crucial oversight regarding UPFs.
He stated: “Ultra-processed food is such a huge category, so it’s incredibly difficult. Some of them, like bread, are unlikely really to cause an adverse impact. If you make soup at home and you use a stock cube, does that make it ultra-processed or not?”
“The fringes are really difficult. A lot of people confuse ultra-processed food with junk food and it’s often portrayed in that way. But it’s not linked to food composition.”
Furthermore, he suggested, “A better approach would promote eating more fresh food, trying to cook more from scratch and finding a food system that helps to do that. Think more about what you eat from a composition point of view – sugar, fat and salt – than worrying about processing.”