Cutting out just 10 grams of sugar each day could “significantly” reduce biological age, a study suggests.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, recruited nearly 350 women to measure how diets rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as those packed with sugar, affected the participants’ “epigenetic clock.”
This test uses saliva samples to estimate a person’s biological age (the age of their cells) based on changes in their DNA.
The team found that women who followed a Mediterranean diet had a “significantly younger” biological age on average than those on high-sugar diets.
And researchers estimated that ditching just 10 grams of added sugar per day (a Krispy Kreme doughnut, for example) could set back your biological clock by two months.
Cutting out about 10 grams of added sugar a day (the equivalent of one Krispy Kreme doughnut or three Chips Ahoy cookies!) could shave two months off your biological age, a new study suggests.
The study is part of a growing body of research suggesting that added sugar can age cells.
Dr. Elissa Epel, co-senior author of the study and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF, said: “We knew that high levels of added sugars are linked to poorer metabolic health and early disease, possibly more than any other dietary factor.”
We now know that accelerated epigenetic aging underlies this relationship, and this is likely one of many ways that excessive sugar consumption limits healthy longevity.
Researchers collected self-reported dietary records from 342 women ages 36 to 43, with an average age of 39. Most of the women were also obese, with an average BMI of 32.5.
Nutrients measured included vitamins A, C, E and B12, as well as folate, zinc, selenium, magnesium, fiber and added sugar.
On average, participants reported a daily added sugar intake of 61.5 grams, more than double the intake recommended by the American Heart Association.
The team found that women who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet, which prioritizes foods rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, had the lowest biological age.
Meanwhile, each gram of added sugar increased biological age. However, eliminating 10 grams per day (the equivalent of one Krispy Kreme doughnut or three Chips Ahoy cookies!) could reverse that aging in 2.4 months.
Dr. Dorothy Chiu, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Health, said, “The diets we examined align with existing recommendations for preventing disease and promoting health, and highlight the potency of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients in particular.”
From a lifestyle medicine perspective, it is encouraging to see how following these recommendations can promote a younger cellular age relative to chronological age.
Biological age differs from chronological age because it is based on the age of cells, not the number of birthdays they have had. The older cells are, the more they wear out, which increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer.
The study had several limitations, including the use of self-reported data, which could lead to bias. In addition, the team noted that more research is needed to determine whether added sugar can cause increased biological aging.
The study was published on Monday in JAMA Network Open.
