A new study finds people who consume large amounts of ultra-processed foods have more fat in their thigh muscles, a change that may raise the risk of knee osteoarthritis.
The foods you eat may impact your muscle health—and your risk for the most common form of arthritis.
A new study finds people who eat more ultra-processed foods have higher amounts of fat stored inside their thigh muscles.
Researchers analyzed nutrition data and MRI scans from 615 overweight adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis.
On average, about 41% of the foods they ate over the previous year were ultra-processed… things like packaged snacks, soft drinks, frozen meals, and desserts.
The results: the more ultra-processed foods people consumed, the more intramuscular fat they had in their thigh muscles, regardless of fat intake, physical activity, or other factors.
On MRI, it shows up as fatty streaks replacing healthy muscle. The researchers say that kind of muscle change could raise the risk for knee osteoarthritis.
The lead author says, “This research underscores the vital role of nutrition in muscle quality in the context of knee osteoarthritis.”
He says reducing ultra-processed foods may help preserve muscle quality and reduce the burden of knee osteoarthritis.
About 33 million Americans are living with osteoarthritis, according to the CDC, with direct medical costs totaling $72 billion annually. Globally, the condition affects more than 600 million.
Source: Radiology
Author Affiliations: University of California, San Francisco, Ankara University, Technical University of Munich, UC Davis Health
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