People are eating less and less natural foods. They're being replaced by highly processed foods containing artificial flavors, colors, and chemical additives. These include fast food, ready-to-eat snacks, cold meats, sugary sodas, baked goods, frozen pizza, and mass-produced baked goods. Ultra-processed foods are designed to appeal to consumers: they're convenient, have a long shelf life, and boast a bold flavor. The combination of sugar, fat, salt, and carbohydrates creates a rewarding effect, making us want to eat more.
Scientists decided to evaluate the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and intramuscular fat in the hips. To do this, they used MRI and data from 666 people participating in the Osteoarthritis Initiative. The participants did not yet have osteoarthritis but were at risk for developing it.
There is a link between decreased muscle mass and strength in the hip and the progression of knee osteoarthritis. On MRI images, this loss can be seen as fatty degeneration of the muscle, where bands of fat replace muscle fibers.
The average age of the study participants (455 men and 211 women) was 60 years. They were, on average, overweight with a BMI of 27. Approximately 40% of their diet consisted of ultra-processed foods. The study found that the more ultra-processed foods people consumed, the more intramuscular fat they had in their thigh muscles, regardless of calorie intake.
Initial treatment for knee osteoarthritis focuses on lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet and physical activity to reduce weight.
