Association between ultra-processed foods frequency of intake and sarcopenia in older adults: a cross-sectional study

• Autor(a) principal: Almeida, Hellen Cristina de
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Lage, Vanessa Kelly da Silva, Paula, Fabiana Angélica de, Freitas, Jaqueline de Paula Chaves, Moreno, Lauane Gomes, Oliveira, Vinícius Cunha de, Bastone, Alessandra de Carvalho, Santos, Joyce Noelly Vitor, Lima, Liliana Pereira, Fernandes, Amanda Cristina, Lacerda, Ana Cristina Rodrigues, Esteves, Elizabethe Adriana, Mendonça, Vanessa Amaral
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/33129
• topic: Alimentos ultraprocesados; Envejecimiento; Sarcopenia; Salud muscular; Frecuencia de alimentación.; Alimentos ultraprocessados; Envelhecimento; Sarcopenia; Saúde muscular; Frequência de consumo.; Ultra-processed foods; Aging; Sarcopenia; Muscle health; Eating frequency.

Ultra-processed foods (UP) are frequently associated with poor diet quality and lack many nutrients necessary for skeletal muscle health, which could contribute to developing sarcopenia. However, investigations about possible associations between the intake of UP and sarcopenia are missing. This study aimed to describe the magnitude of the exposition to UP (eating frequency) and compare it in older adults with and without sarcopenia. It also described associations between the magnitude of exposition of UP with body composition markers of sarcopenia in all subjects. It was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 118 community-dwelling older adults. Body composition was accessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and UP intake by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). All foods in the FFQ were categorized into two groups: (1) non-UP and (2) UP. SCORE I (mean score for food group 1) and SCORE II (mean score for food group 2) were calculated. The eating frequency of UP was near 3 to 4x/week and higher for sarcopenic subjects (p<0.05). Subjects consuming UP more than 1-2x/week were more likely to be sarcopenic than those consuming less than 1-2x/week. Therefore, sarcopenic subjects were more exposed to UP. In addition, even at a low exposition, the intake of UP increases the chances of developing sarcopenia in older adults.